The Hunger Games Drabbles
by Konzelwoman
Summary: My drabbles originally from tumblr, Everlark, Odesta, AU, Post Epilogue, all characters.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Buttercup III

Katniss stared at the creature in her child's hands, her scowl as deep as it could go. "Peeta?"

Wiping his hands on a rag as he walked, Peeta walked up to her smiling, "Yeah?" He stuck the rag into the front pocket of his apron. "Oh, no. I know that face. That is the face you used to get when But-"

"What is that…. _Thing_ doing here, and in _my_ child's hands, no less?" She asked, pointing to the thing, never taking her eyes off of it.

Peeta just laughed. "Well, Katniss, that _thing_ is a _kitten_, and it is in _our_ child's hands because I gave it to him."

Katniss turned her head to her husband, leaving her finger pointed at the thing, a look of sheer bewilderment on her face.

Peeta had to bite his lip to not laugh at the way she looked.

Walking up behind her, Haymitch put a hand on her shoulder and said, with his usual smirk, "Yup! And he has named it, 'Buttercup III'." He moved his hands above his head as if he saw the name in lights.

"Daddy?"

Everyone looked over to where the little boy sat with the purring kitten in his lap.

Walking over and kneeling beside him, Peeta said, "Yes, son?"

"I think I want to name her 'Prim'."

Peeta had a lump in his throat as he turned to look at his wife. He saw her features start to soften, and behind her, Haymitch smiled proudly and nodded.

Turning back to their son, Peeta said, "Okay, Finn. Whatever you want. But why P- That name?"

"Because mommy has told me so many stories about auntie Prim, and she was so brave and so beautiful, I just thought it fit."

Peeta had tears pooling in his eyes as he turned back to his wife once again. She had dropped her hand and was staring at their son with a look that conveyed amazement, bewilderment, sadness, and joy all in one. _I guess that's what love looks like_, he thought. She had silent tears running down her face.

Behind her, Haymitch had placed his hands on the top of each of her shoulders and was rubbing gently, one silent tear running down his face, and a glint in his eye that Peeta couldn't tell if it was pride or sadness.

Gripping her upper arms tightly, Haymitch leaned in to whisper so only she could hear. "You did a hell of a job with that one, sweetheart. I'm proud of you. Now, when are you going to tell lover boy that you are going to have another runt running around here?"

Katniss walked over and sat beside Finn, placing a hand on his back as he smiled up at her, and she smiled back. "I think that is a beautiful name."

Finn beamed.

"And we can name the next one 'Buttercup III' so we don't hurt daddy's feelings."

Peeta tilted his head and looked at his wife. "Next one? What? What are you talking about?"

"Well, Prim will get bitter like Buttercup if she doesn't have a companion," Peeta chuckled, and she continued, "Plus Finn's little siblings might get jealous-"

"_What_?!"

"Hallelujah! Thank God, she finally told him!" Haymitch hooted.

"Finally told me?" Peeta turned to Haymitch.

"Yes, Peeta. She may have been the You-Know-Who, fought in the You-Know-What, and competed in two You-Knows, but telling you has made her more uptight than her first interview with Caesar."

"You still don't know the effect you can have, do you?" Peeta asked, turning to Katniss with a goofy grin on his face. She looked down at the floor bashfully with a small smile, and he lifted her chin up with his finger then tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.

"Peeta, I'm pregnant. Again. And before you ask like last time…. Real."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Mama's gonna buy you a mockingbird

Katniss bounced the baby as she whined just after being fed for the third time that evening. In a futile attempt, she held the baby close and looked down into her eyes. Softly she began to sing.

"Hush little baby, don't say a word,  
Mommy's gonna buy you mockingbird.  
And if that mockingbird won't sing,  
Daddy's gonna buy you a diamond ring.  
And if that diamond ring don't shine,  
Primmy will sing you a lullaby.  
And if that lullaby don't work,  
Finnick will buy you a dragon of Burke.  
And if that Dragon doesn't fly,  
Annie will give you a big surprise.  
And if that surprise won't do it for you,  
Johanna will jump up and cut down the moon.  
And if the moon's too big right now,  
Gale will put it back somehow.  
But in the end if you're still awake,  
Daddy will just have to bake you a cake.  
So hush little baby, don't you cry,  
Mommy's gonna sing you a lullaby."

The floor creaked and she snapped her head up at the sound to see Peeta leaning on the door frame, his arms crossed across his chest and his ankles locked together, a lopsided grin turning up his face.

"I'm surprised you didn't run out of rhymes,  
I dare you to try again sometime."

Katniss grinned.

"You're on. You'll see, I'm a clever one,  
And this dare sure does sound fun."

Peeta walked up behind her as she laid their now sleeping daughter down in the crib and wrapped his arms around her, singing softly in her ear.

"You know I love you, my heart is yours,  
And know that true love always endures.  
You're stuck with me, like it or not,  
I'm just lucky I'm the one that you got."

Katniss gently rubbed her thumbs over his knuckles as they looked at their daughter.

"I love you, too, believe it or not,  
You're stuck with me, I'm the one that you've got.  
But know my beating heart is true, and it will always beat for you."

Peeta chuckled softly and whispered in her ear, "Beat me again, Everdeen."

"Always."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: I'll Show You Mine If You Show Me Yours

They were all sitting in a circle, just talking when it happened.

"I'll show you mine if you show me yours," Peeta said bluntly to Finnick.

"Dude, no way. I don't want you touching them."

"Come on, man! Just show us!" Gale slapped Finnick on the back.

"They are smaller than you guys'," Finnick whined.

"They can't be that much smaller," Peeta said in horror.

Johanna chuckled. "Come on, boys! I'll even show you mine if you drag out your-"

"What about me? I want in!" Annie shouted with excitement.

"Well if the three of us show ours, then Katniss has to man up and do it, too! It's not fair to not get to see the whole collection!" Gale was exasperated.

Everyone turned to Katniss and Johanna laughed once again. "I think we are making Brainless uncomfortable."

"Well, mine are so much smaller than all of yours and-"

Gale whined, "Come on, Katniss. We were all given the same kind of-"

"Fine, fine. On the count of three we all show them."

The group all nodded and grinned giddily.

"Okay. 1, 2….. 3!"

They all pulled out their superhero action figures from behind their backs and marveled at all the others.

"I'll trade you my Spider-Man for your Batman!" Peeta whispered to Katniss.

"Not on your life."

"What about if I threw in some marbles?"

"….Keep talking."

"But you gotta give me at least one marble, too."

Katniss grinned. "I'll show you mine if you show me yours."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4: Approval**

"Why are you so nervous?" Katniss Everdeen looked over at her boyfriend Peeta Mellark, trying to smile but his bouncing leg putting her own nerves on edge and causing her scowl to deepen.

Peeta turned his face toward her and smiled a smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Me? Nervous? Pfffft!"

They stayed in this little standoff of sorts, her scowling at him, he fake smiling at her, leg bouncing, until finally one of them broke. "Fine! Fine!" Peeta said in exasperation, throwing his hands up in surrender. "I'm nervous. You happy now? I admit it. I'm nervous. I, Peeta Mellark am nervous."

The smile finally winning over, Katniss reached over and grabbed his hand now in his lap and he stared at it and held it tight, as if he were a balloon that would fly away if he let go. A lopsided smile started up the side of his face as she ran her thumb over his knuckles, her own grin growing when she saw his dimple appear. He looked out the window of the train, as if summoning courage, then turned back to meet her eyes. "What if he doesn't approve?"

Katniss threw her head back and laughed a deep, low laugh, ending with a snort that made Peeta chuckle. "What? It's not funny!"

"Yes, it is!" She said, still slightly laughing. "I could care less if he doesn't approve. Sure, dad told him, 'Take care of my girls, Hawthorne'," she said, imitated a deep man's voice making Peeta smile again, "right before he breathed his last, but that shouldn't worry you."

Peeta looked at his girlfriend as if she had just told him she was really a unicorn. "You…. You are crazy."

"But that's why you love me."

"Well, maybe, but you know me. If he says no, it's the same as if your father said no and I couldn't bring myself to betray that, especially knowing how much he meant to you."

Despite his stubbornness, Katniss felt tears prick the back of her eyes and she reached up to cup his cheek with her hand. He leaned into it, his eyes closed and a contented sigh passing through his lips before they closed in a contented grin.

"Don't worry. I've got your back," she whispered. "Remember, we protect each other. It's what we do."

Peeta's grin grew once again to meet his eyes. "Are you even real?"

"Oh yes," she said coyly. "Very."

X-X-X

Katniss rang the door bell as Peeta clutched her hand like a lifeline and bounced on his toes.

She put her hand gently on his shoulder, but he kept bouncing as he turned to meet her eyes. So she pushed down firmly, holding him to the ground.

"Peeta. Don't worry. It's cute, but stop. Please. If he says no, just remember, Prim is engaged to his little brother and I will just get info to blackmail him. As if I didn't have enough already from our childhood…."

"Katniss, no!"

"Fine, fine. I'll just tell him I need some target practice and to stand with an apple on his head-"

"Kat-"

Just then the front door opened and a squeal that could only belong to Prim met their ears. She rushed through the door to hug them both at the same time and looking over her shoulder, they saw Gale standing in the doorway, arms crossed, face as broody as ever.

"Catnip," Gale smiled, but his voice was cold as he wrapped Katniss in a hug.

Then, turning to Peeta, the smile vanished and his voice grew colder. "Peeta Mellark." He offered his hand for a hand shake, which Peeta readily offered. He tried not to wince when Gale squeezed so tightly his knuckles turned white and Peeta's fingers turned blue.

X-X-X

Gale seemed to be appraising Peeta all day, and Katniss did not like it at all. She ended up giving him the cold shoulder for the majority of the visit.

Nearing the end of the day, Gale walked up and stood in front of Peeta, holding out a bottle of beer. Peeta looked from the bottle to Gale's face towering above where he sat in a chair. "Mind if we go talk outside for a bit?"

Peeta tried to hide his obvious gulp of fear. "Sure." He stood up, took the bottle and followed Gale out the back door.

He quickly realized it was a pop top bottle and asked Gale for a bottle opener.

Gale just took the bottle from him, lined the edge of the cap up with the railing of the porch, and yanked down, pulling the cap off. He handed it back to Peeta with a small smile.

"Thanks," Peeta muttered.

Gale took a long pull from the bottle, staring out into the woods around the house, and shook his head and started laughing.

"What?" Peeta asked, smiling along but completely lost.

"Nothing, man, it's just…." Gale looked at his shoes than back out to the woods. "You know Catn- Katniss and I used to date?"

"She may have mentioned it."

"Yeah. Well, we, uh, we were inseparable growing up, and it just sort of happened and we realized we were better as friends. Her dad had to talk us down out of more fights than he ought to have."

Peeta didn't know how to respond, so he just looked out into the woods, too.

"When he, uh…. Died, when he died he asked me to make sure she found the right guy. He knew I would watch over her like he would. He was like my dad, too. But I just kept hoping, that maybe she and I could find a way to make it work. Us. Make us work," he finally looked at Peeta, meeting his eyes.

"And after watching her today, seeing how she looks at you. How you make her smile…. I only made her smile when I would trip on something, or go hunting with her, and even when she was hunting, I'm sure it was because of where she was, not because I was there."

"Gale, I'm sure she-"

"No, no, Mellark. It's okay. We're friends, and I'm okay with that. She deserves to smile like that. All the time. At little things, at nothing at all. She deserves to be happy."

Peeta didn't want to seem too giddy at the direction this conversation was going, so he hid his smile with a draw of the beer.

"And she never kissed me like that."

Peeta spat out his beer, causing Gale to recoil quickly. Both men made eye contact and started laughing.

"You, uh, you got a little something on your chin…."

"Yeah," Peeta chuckled. "Yeah, I got that." He wiped his chin on his sleeve.

After a companionable silence, while holding each others gaze, Gale walked up to Peeta and patted him on the back.

"Peeta, to quote Mr. Everdeen, "Son, you have my permission to date my daughter. But-"

"But?"

"Don't interrupt me, young man! But, if you break her heart, you best have a second identity and passport ready to go, and pray that I don't find you."

"Mr. Everdeen really told you to say that?"

Gale smiled and looked back to the woods as he held his bottle to his lips, smiling into the lip of the bottle as he spoke. "Not in so many words." He pulled the last of his bottle and turned to walk into the house. "I may have improvised a little at the end."


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Game

"God, it's hot," Katniss said heavily as she fanned herself with her hand.

Blowing her bangs up off her forehead with a puff, Johanna moaned. "Tell me about it."

If it weren't for the circumstances, Katniss would be anywhere but here, in the bleachers, watching her little sister Prim's softball game. If it weren't for Prim, she'd be sipping iced tea in her living room, watching a rerun of FRIENDS.

But, alas, Prim was playing, and Katniss was here, and it was blistering hot out.

"Wooo!" Katniss and Johanna cheered a beat later than the crowd, having missed the play while complaining.

"You know, Annie is doing a great job," Johanna commented, a look of admiration in her face as she looked at their friend on the sidelines.

Annie Cresta was a beautiful girl majoring in Education, with a minor in Physical Education. Coaching Prim's high school team counted as three credit hours for her, and, Katniss had to admit, she _was_ good at what she was doing.

"I'm gonna go grab a snow cone. Finnick is manning the booth today, and he owes me a favor…. Which I shall redeem in the form of a gigantor sized snow cone," Johanna held her hands up to represent the size she described.

"Whatever. It's your brain freeze."

"Come with me!" Johanna whined. "Don't make me walk alone when I don't even have to walk at all!"

"Fine. But I get a free gigantor snow cone, too."

They made their way through the crowd, muttering "Sorry!"s and "Oops!"s along the way.

Finally out of the throng of people, they saw the snow cone booth.

As they approached, Finnick's presence was unmistakable, despite the fact they could not see him, by the throng of giggling girls surrounding the booth.

Johanna made a gagging noise, causing Katniss to snort.

Finally, they saw his effervescent smile above the sea of giggling ponytails. "Hey, guys! What can I get ya?"

Johanna was hot, annoyed, and hot, so she pushed through the swarm of girls, shoving her way to the front. She came up behind the girl standing in front of the window, blocking her from Finnick, and cleared her throat.

The blonde turned her head just slightly enough to look at Johanna, eyebrows raised in question as she continued to suck on her straw.

"Um, excuse me, blue eyes, but you're blocking my view."

"No, I'm blocking his," the girl retorted, nodding her head toward Finnick, then went back to work on that straw.

"Excuse me?"

"No one wants to see you, Mason," the girl said bitingly.

"Look, Glitter-"

"_Glimmer. Gli-mmer_," the blonde said agitatedly.

Johanna smiled. "Right. Look, Glitter," the surrounding girls were a mix of gasps and giggles, Katniss just smirked knowingly as she observed. "Odair is my friend, he has a girl friend, and I've seen him naked."

All the girls gasped in unison. Katniss had to bite her lip to keep from breaking the silence with a snort.

"_What?!_" Glimmer shouted.

Finnick finally jumped in, his tone obviously amused. "Whoa, woah, woah. Calm down, Glitter-"

"_Glimmer!_" she shouted this time.

"Yeah. Right," Finnick smiled. "Sparkle, all I'm trying to say is she has seen me naked because we used to take baths together as little kids."

Glimmer seemed to calm a bit at this.

"Now, Katniss on the other hand, we used to date, so, she's seen it for a whole other reason."

Glimmer stormed off, muttering something along the lines of, "He dated Katpiss Neverclean?" causing her posse to giggle as they followed her.

"Finnick! That is a lie, and you know it!" Katniss reached in and shoved his shoulder. "We never dated."

"But you did see me naked."

"The same way Johanna did!"

Finnick and Johanna shared a glance as they smirked at Katniss' ever reddening cheeks.

"What? Do you find this" — he strikes a ridiculously provocative pose — "distracting?"

"Quite the contrary. You are sweating like a pig!"

Finnick started to blush.

Katniss taunted him further, "Poor Finnick. Is this the first time in your life someone hasn't said you looked stunning?"

"It must be. The sensation is completely new. How have you managed it all these years?" he shot back.

"Just avoid mirrors. You'll forget about it," Katniss finished with a proud smile.

They heard a laugh from the back of the booth. A deep, manly, happy laugh.

"Who was _that_," Johanna asked, her eyes skimming the booth.

"Oh, that's my buddy, Peeta. He came to watch the game and noticed I was swamped, well, actually more like swarmed, by _customers_, so he offered to help out." He looked at Katniss. "And he apparently thinks your insulting me is _hilarious_," he looked over his shoulder, directing the last word toward the ominous laugh, then back to Katniss. "He's attractive and single and ready to mingle!" He waggled his eyebrows.

"Well, don't expect us to be too impressed. We've both seen you, naked," Johanna dead panned.

Walking up beside Finnick, they finally saw the infamous Peeta.

He was staring right at Katniss, a lopsided grin on his face with a dimple, a twinkle in his eye, and blonde curls she wanted to tug and see if they sprung back.

She reached out to touch one and Johanna smacked her hand.

"What?"

"Brainless, we don't just touch the hair, or whatever you were reaching for, of people we have just met. Well, at least not until they buy you a drink."

Finnick chuckled as he leaned forward on the edge of the booth with his outstretched arms and hung his head, shaking it. "Jo, you are a piece of work."

"I'm a masterpiece, Odair."

"By whose standards?"

"The man who owes me favors."

"I do not!"

"Do, too!"

"Since when?"

"Since you made me write that essay because you forgot. Since you opened the door to your apartment in your underwear. Since you made me swear not to say-"

"Okay! I get it! One gigantic snow cone coming up."

"Two," Katniss piped up, holding up two fingers.

"What? Why?"

"Because I walked here, _darling_, and had to see your ugly mug."

Finnick scoffed.

"Brainless, Odair! Stop! Odair! Work! Two gigantor snow cones, one pickle flavor and the other…." She trailed off, looking at Katniss for her choice.

"Tigers blood."

"You are what you eat," Finnick mumbled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Johanna exasperated.

"You, my pickle friend, are a sourpuss. And she," he pointed to Katniss, "is a kick butt woman of the world. She drinks tigers blood, and has become- _the eye of the tiger_!" he sang the last bit, nasally, with his eyes scrunched tightly shut, his face matching, and making a fist.

"Why do I know you?" Peeta asked after several seconds of silence.

Everyone laughed.

Peeta ran his hands through his hair, causing the curls to turn into waves from the sweat. "If Finn looks like a pig, I must look awful!"

Johanna smirked. "On the contrary. I think Katniss thinks you look like a Greek God or something. She won't stop staring."

They all looked to Katniss as she stared into Peeta's eyes, which she deemed impossibly blue, and without missing a beat or looking away, reached out and shoved Johanna's shoulder, making her lose her balance and trip sideways.

"Brainless!"

"Johanna!"

"Katpiss Neverclean!"

"….Jo!"

Katniss never looked away from Peeta through out the exchange, and neither did he from her, his grin growing.

"Here. Make peace. But instead of breaking bread together," Finnick handed over their snow cones with a cheesy grin, "break ice."

Everyone groaned.

"It's too hot. I'm making myself a snow cone and shutting up shop. Want anything, Peet?"

"Sure. A blue coconut."

"You got it, dude."

As Finnick made the snow cones, Peeta exited the back of the booth, and walked around to the girls, offering Katniss his hand to shake.

She just chewed on her straw as she stared into space.

Peeta waved the hand in front of her face, but nothing happened.

"Brainless," Johanna piped up, immediately going back to her snow cone.

Katniss scowled.

Finnick walked around and handed Peeta his snow cone, and snapped in front of Katniss's face. "Kat."

Shaking her head, she looked at Finnick. "Yes?

"Where were you?" His voice matched the concern on his face.

"I was listening to the scores. Prim and Annie won!"

"Wooooo!" Everyone cheered.

"Odair, go make victory snow cones for them in the colors of the team."

"Jo, no. No, Jo."

"So, they don't get anything?" Peeta asked in disbelief.

Finnick grinned madly.

"Finnick, no!" Katniss whined.

"You're hopeless," Johanna huffed.

"What?" Peeta was completely lost.

Annie and Prim walked up right then.

"We won!" Prim and Annie shouted at the same time.

As congratulations went around, Finnick held out his hand to the two victors, laden with sugar cubes, and said, "Want a sugar cube?"


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Come Away With Me

The windows started to fog over as the heat in the vehicle finally kicked in.

_Three blocks away from The Hob. Go figure._ Peeta Mellark smirked to himself as he switched the air over to defrost.

After drumming his fingers on the steering wheel waiting for the unyielding red light, he sighed and turned on the radio. Something he had been avoiding as it was always something _she_ did. It was "Hey Ho" by The Lumineers. _Great._

_1, 2, 3_  
_I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweetheart_  
_I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweet_  
_(Ho!)_

He almost switched the station but the memory came so fast that his hand hovered over the dial.

_Flipping on the radio, Katniss turned the dial until she landed on the latest pop monstrosity, a grin spreading on her face as she turned up the volume and plopped back in the passenger seat of the car._

_He glanced as her out of the corner of his eye. "Seriously?"_

_She smiled devilishly at him and began singing the ridiculous lyrics in an over dramatic impersonation of the artists nasally, breathy lyrics._

_"And I'm like, and she's like, and they're like, 'Yeah!'"_

_Having reached their destination, Peeta pulled the car to a halt, put it in park, and stared at her. She knew he hated both this artist and the song._

_Her devilish smile just grew as she continued to sing the ridiculous lyrics, dramatically whipping her hair around and making the ridiculous face that most singers make where they look either constipated or in pain._

_"You know I love your singing-"_

_"Good!" She sang even louder._

_"But I hate this song!"_

_"Tough!" More hair flipping and constipation faces._

_"Kaaaatnisssss!"_

_"Fine." A grin of triumph on her face, she reached for the dial with her left and and rubbed her cheek with the other. "That face was starting to make my cheeks hurt."_

_Peeta laughed as he got out of the car and leaned against the hood, looking up at the stars above their meadow and watching his breath puff out in the cold air as he heard the plethora of radio stations she was sifting through._

_She landed on one of their favorite stations, she declared, as there was some ridiculous infomercial broadcasting between the songs._

_She got out and leaned on the hood next to him. "Whatever song comes on next is our song."_

_"We already have a song."_

_Katniss looked down at her feet and dug the toe of her boot into the ground as a blush stained her cheeks. "Yes, I know. Fine. But this can be our meadow song."_

_Peeta laughed. "'Our meadow song'. I like the sound of that. Plus, you're just so cute when you blush…."_

_Katniss chuckled as she shoved his shoulder with her hand._

_Peeta reached across his chest and grabbed it, putting his other hand in her waist and pulling her close as the song started to play. "Can I have this dance?"_

_Katniss huffed over dramatically but couldn't hide the smile on her face for long. As she started to blush she tucked her face into the crook of his neck to hide and he felt her smile against his skin. "If you must," she mumbled into his neck._

_(Ho!)_  
_(Hey!)_  
_(Ho!)_  
_(Hey!)_  
_(Ho!) I've been trying to do it right_  
_(Hey!) I've been living a lonely life_  
_(Ho!) I've been sleeping here instead_  
_(Hey!) I've been sleeping in my bed,_  
_(Ho!) I've been sleeping in my bed_  
_(Hey!)_

_(Ho!)_

_(Ho!) So show me family_  
_(Hey!) All the blood that I would bleed_  
_(Ho!) I don't know where I belong_  
_(Hey!) I don't know where I went wrong_  
_(Ho!) But I can write a song_  
_(Hey!)_

_1, 2, 3_  
_I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweetheart_  
_I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweet_  
_(Ho!)_

_(Hey!)_  
_(Ho!)_  
_(Hey!)_

_(Ho!) I don't think you're right for him_  
_(Hey!) Look at what it might have been if you_  
_(Ho!) Took a bus to China Town_  
_(Hey!) I'd be standing on Canal_  
_(Ho!) And Bowery_  
_(Hey!)_  
_(Ho!) And she'd be standing next to me_  
_(Hey!)_

_Katniss began to sing along with the song, softly, still in the crook of his neck, the vibrations of her voice making him warm despite the cold and goose bumps despite the heat._

_1, 2, 3_  
_I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweetheart_  
_I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweetheart_

_Love ‒ we need it now_  
_Let's hope for some_  
_So, we're bleeding out_

_I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweetheart_  
_I belong with you, you belong with me, you're my sweet_  
_(Ho!)_

_Peeta started chanting with the song. It was the only part he could do justice, given his tone deafness Katniss always giggled at._

_(Hey!)_  
_(Ho!)_  
_(The last one)_  
_(Hey!)_

The memory began to fade and he became aware of the honking behind him. Looking up he realized the light was green so he shook his head and pushed on the gas.

The fight two weeks ago had ended badly. He wasn't sure this time they would be able to put their pieces back together.

Finnick had urged him to go to The Hob this evening, and try to just forget for an evening. He had a mischievous glint in his eye as he suggested it, but then again, Finnick always did, so Peeta didn't read much into it.

The Hob was a coffee and spirits bar, and a local haunt for hipsters and hippies alike. Plus tonight was open mic night and Katniss sometimes went there to sing so if there was any chance of seeing her it would be now.

xxx

He had been at The Hob all night, it was verging on the end of open mic time, and Katniss was nowhere to be found. Haymitch Abernathy gave him a latte that had those little heart patterns drawn in the foam and had a smirk on his face. Peeta looked up to the older man and said, "Thanks for the offer, man, but it's too soon. I don't want you to be my rebound."

Haymitch laughed and slapped Peeta's shoulder across the bar. "No, no, I wouldn't want that either. Don't get me wrong, you're beautiful and all, but I'm more Odair's type."

Peeta returned the laugh and glanced at the clock for what seemed like the millionth time. It was on the verge of midnight.

Smiling knowingly, Haymitch leaned in and said, "You know, I once told her she could live a hundred lifetimes and still not deserve you. And you just keep proving my point."

"What?"

"Nothing. Never mind. Your stars may be crossed, but the funny thing is, you can use the stars to navigate your way home."

Peeta stared down into the steaming drink, pondering Haymitch's words.

"But after the dash of liquid courage I added to that drink, even the stars will be blurry." Haymitch chuckled.

Peeta looked up to him wide eyed, a lopsided grin starting up his face as Haymitch walked away.

Peeta glanced over to the little stage in the corner of the bar, a piano set up on it, empty. Above the stage were pieces of rusty metal bolted to the wall to look like a dead tree with scraggly branches and shiny metal letters around it that said "The Hanging Tree". It was meant as a joke because open mics either failed or were amazing, and if you got boo'd, they would make you hang a little pipe cleaner man from one of the branches that jutted from the wall overhanging the piano. Three men hung, and you had to wait a month to perform again. His good friend, and Finnick's girlfriend, Annie, an art major, had designed it, and Haymitch, with his dark sense of humor, embraced it and offered to display it.

Peeta glanced up at the clock again as it blinked back 11:59 PM at him. He chuckled darkly as he thought of his and Katniss's favorite old folk song, "The Hanging Tree" (which had inspired Annie's art). Between the tradition of pipe cleaner men at The Hob, and the obvious no-show of Katniss, the lyrics were ironic.

_Are you, Are you_  
_Coming to the tree_  
_Where they strung up a man they say murdered three_  
_Strange things did happen here_  
_No stranger would it be_  
_If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree_

"No stranger would it be  
If we met up at midnight in the hanging tree," Peeta mumbled as he saw the clock hit 12:00 AM.

The sound of a piano playing the chords of "Hey Ho" made him pick up his head and turn around quickly to see Katniss sitting at the piano, a blush on her cheeks as she stared at her hands playing the chords. He knew that look. She was summoning up her courage. _She still has no idea the effect she can have._

Katniss cleared her throat and started talking into the mic over her playing, her eyes never leaving her fingers. "Um." A nervous chuckle. "I um, fist of all my name is Katniss Everdeen, and I know it's late, but…. But I have something that I need to say to someone and I am too much of a chicken to say it to their face so I asked my friend to ask him to come here tonight and I almost backed out, hence the late hour, but he threatened to make me eat sushi if I didn't come, so he drove me here and here I am so here I go." Her long winded, run on sentence was due to nerves, but it still made Peeta smile. He looked toward the doorway and saw Finnick looking at him. Finnick winked and Peeta mouthed, "Thank you".

Finally looking up from her fingers, she looked over to Peeta, locking eyes with him, and said, "This one is for The Boy with The Bread."

If she hadn't made eye contact with him, he'd still know she meant him. She was avoiding naming him, and since his family owned a bakery chain, saying, "This goes out to the baker!" would have kind of given it away. It was nice to have such a public moment still be private.

She looked back down to her hand as she started to play the chords to…. No, it couldn't be. But it was. _Their_ song. Not their meadow song or their cooking song or any of the other songs they had attached activities to….. _Their_ song. Her voice came out clear and strong and beautiful and he knew he was a goner. Again.

_Come away with me in the night_  
_Come away with me_  
_And I will write you a song_  
_Come away with me on a bus_  
_Come away where they can't tempt us_  
_With their lies_

_I want to walk with you_  
_On a cloudy day_  
_In fields where the yellow grass grows knee-high_  
_So won't you try to come_

_Come away with me and we'll kiss_  
_On a mountaintop_  
_Come away with me_  
_And I'll never stop loving you_

_And I want to wake up with the rain_  
_Falling on a tin roof_  
_While I'm safe there in your arms_  
_So all I ask is for you_  
_To come away with me in the night_  
_Come away with me_

Everyone clapped and she opened her eyes to look at him again. His lopsided grin reappeared and she smiled shyly back.

Peeta felt Haymitch's hand on his arm. He turned his head and the smile on Haymitch's face was genuine. "Use my office." Peeta nodded, grateful, and turned back to Katniss, tilting his head toward Haymitch's office. She nodded.

As Peeta slipped off the stool Haymitch grabbed his arms again and whispered in Peeta'a ear, "Just put a towel down." Peeta pulled away, shaking his head, Haymitch's usual smirk back on his face.

Peeta waited on the couch in Haymitch's office for a few minutes when finally Katniss walked through the door. "Sorry. Everyone wanted to tell me good job," she smiled shyly.

"Really? I wouldn't have." She looked taken back by his comment. "I mean, you didn't look constipated and I did not see one hair flip."

She grinned, that blush once again on her cheeks as she dug the toe of her boot into the ground. "I'll remember that for next time." She sat next to him.

"There won't be a next time. At least, I hope not. As lovely as that was, the next time I hear you sing that, I want it to be at our wedding, not after a fight." She laughed and he rubbed the back if his neck nervously.

"Well, you haven't even proposed, so I can't make any promises."

Peeta ran his hand through his hair and knelt down on one knee in front of her. She instantly scowled in confusion. "I've been carrying this around forever, trying to work up the courage, but, I guess it's now or never."

He swallowed and reached into his jacket pocket pulling out a ring box.

"Haymitch said that he told you you could live a hundred lifetimes and still not deserve me. Well, that may be-" she shoved his shoulder lightly and laughed softly as a tear fell down her face. "But," he continued with that crooked grin, wiping the tear away with the pad of his thumb, "I want to spend all hundred of them finding out. And proving him wrong."

Katniss sucked in a shallow breath.

"He also told me that our stars may be crossed, but the funny thing is, we use the stars to guide us home. And they have always brought me back to you."

He opened the box and revealed a simple ring that had an arrow engraved on either side of the center stone, pointing toward it, the fletching of the arrows many small diamonds and the tips inlaid pearl. The center stone was small, but exactly what she had told him she wanted someday.

Engraved on the inside was the word, "Always.".

"So, Katniss Everdeen, will you come away with me?"

"Always." They both smiled as he slipped on the ring. "And I'll work on that constipated face for our wedding."

She giggled as Peeta groaned.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Don't Mention It

Waking up to his screams, Annie was quick to wrap her arms around Finnick and whisper calming words in his ear. Every night the terror or their pasts took hold, stalking their dreams, but they were there to pull each other through.

"Shhhhh, Shhhh!" Annie whispered in his ear, running her fingers through the hair on the back of his head, twirling it in circles. "It was just a dream, shhhhhh…."

He was looking around frantically, like something was about to pop out at him, so she knew he wasn't quite over the edge back to her yet.

"Finnick, it's me, Annie."

"…Annie?"

"Yes, and I'm right here with you, at home, in bed, safe and sound. I promise."

Seeing the glaze over his eyes fade away, she knew she had him back.

Still playing with his hair, she asked, "What was it this time?"

"Mags."

Annie took in a sharp breath. She missed Mags, too, and often had nightmares about her, but it didn't involve seeing her die, it involved the guilt she felt for Mags taking her place in the Quarter Quell, and imagining the pain of the poison fog. She would be stuck in a cloud of the fog in her dream, unable to get out, just on the verge of death but unable to die, hearing Finnick calling out her name.

Finnick brought her back to reality as he continued, "I saw it happen all over again. I saw it all, but from, like, outside of my body. I saw Peeta, and Katniss, and Mags, and myself, and I sat there, screaming at everyone, trying to tell them to run, telling Mags not to go, but no one heard me."

"Finnick, I miss her, too, but there is nothing you could have done. Mags knew what she was getting into. No one asked her to volunteer. She did it for you. For me. For us. So we could have a better life, have a chanc-"

She was cut off by the baby monitor beside her blaring the sound of their six week old son, Trace, crying in his nursery across the hall. Sighing, she went to get up, but Finnick stopped her, pulling her back down to the mattress and kissing her forehead.

"I've got this one," he said, and got out of bed, making his way to the nursery. He stopped in the doorway of their bedroom, and turned to look at her. "Thank you," he said softly.

"Don't mention it," she said sweetly.

X-X-X

She had heard them through the baby monitor for the past fifteen minutes. As soon as Finnick had gotten into the nursery, his voice was void of all tiredness as she heard him pick up their son and say, "Why, hey there, big fella!"

She couldn't hide her smile, or suppress the giggle that escaped her lips. She continued to eavesdrop.

"You know you have the most awesomest, sweetest, and prettiest mommy in the world, my little Tadpole!"

She heard Trace coo through the monitor.

"But your aunt Katniss is much more fierce. She is actually kind of scary. They called her 'The Girl On Fire'. Everyone says it was because of her clothes that were made of fire, but I know the real reason."

"And what is that?" Annie asked from the nursery doorway.

Finnick whirled around and saw her leaning on the doorframe, arms crossed, and that grin he loved on her face.

Mirroring her grin, he said, "Because she is… Awesome?"

"I'm calling Katniss in the morning. You should be afraid."

Finnick gulped. "I am."

Laughing as she walked into the room, she came up to her two favorite men and placed a hand on her now sleeping son's head, rubbing it gently absentmindedly as she looked up into Finnick's eyes.

"Thank you," she said softly.

Grinning down at their son, then looking back to her, the grin never faltered as he whispered, "Don't mention it."


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: The Vow Renewal

You couldn't have asked for a better day. The sun was shining, the breeze was cool and gentle, and the temperature was perfect. It was the perfect day for a beachside wedding. Well, vow renewal, but that was a mere technicality. As far as Finnick was concerned, this was the real deal.

Finnick turned to Peeta, bouncing on his toes, his face wearing a grin that couldn't get any bigger. "I'm getting married today!" He was wrong. It got bigger.

Smiling back, Peeta put a hand on his friend's shoulder to keep him planted on the ground instead of bouncing. "I know! And as your best man, I command you to calm down! You survived the games twice, and a rebellion. You can do this!"

"Yeah, but those things look small compared to marriage! Those were events, a short, fleeting moment in my life. This is marriage. This is the rest of my life. Yes, still a fight to the death, but way more terrifying than an arena!"

Peeta patted Finnick's shoulder, then removed his hand, and chuckled as he looked up the beach a bit and saw Katniss lounging on a chaise pool chair in her bridesmaid dress, obviously over all of the pampering, plucking, and whatever else girls did.

A grin coming close to matching Finnick's on his face as he looked at her, her hair blowing in the wind, that scowl on her face, and the engagement ring on her finger glittering in the sunlight, he said, "I know what you mean. Terrifying doesn't even begin to cover it."

Looking back at Finnick, they both burst out laughing.

Reaching into the pocket on the inside of his suit jacket, Finnick pulled out a few sugar cubes. Trying to keep them hidden so as no one else would see, he leaned into Peeta and whispered, "You wanna sugar cube?"

Peeta looked at him in humorous disbelief. "Are you serious? Finnick, it looks like you are trying to slip me drugs," he chuckled.

Haymitch walked up behind Finnick, reached over his shoulder, grabbed a sugar cube, startling Finnick in the process, and said, "Ooo! Sugar cubes! Don't mind if I do!"

He popped it into his mouth as he walked between the two boys, then turned around to look at them.

Peeta was snickering while Finnick was glaring.

"What?" Haymitch asked. "I am presiding over your marriage, your game maker for the day if you will, so I get a damn sugar cube if I want, Merman." Finnick kept glaring. "Don't look at me in that tone of voice, Odair. It's not becoming."

X-X-X

All of the bridesmaids and groomsmen had made their way down the aisle, and it was now time for the bride.

As Annie stood at the end of the aisle, the sun behind her making her look like an angel coming toward him. He blinked a few times to make sure this was real, then shielded his face from the sun to see more than just a glowing silhouette approach him.

He held his breath. He forgot how to breathe. He forgot how to think. All he knew was walking towards him, and it was beautiful.

As she finally got to him, Finnick smiled and it never left his face for the rest of the evening.

Finally getting to the vows, Annie went first and said something utterly beautiful, but to be honest, he didn't hear one thing she said. He was lost in her eyes, deafened by her lips, and dumbfounded by her touch on his hands which she held.

Haymitch was snapping in front of his face and saying, "Odair. It's your turn." The guests chuckled, and Finnick blushed realizing he'd been caught. Taking a deep breath and looking into those eyes, trying not to get lost, he said his vows.

"My love, you have my heart. And when I die, my last thought will be of your lips. I know you've heard that all before, but it is still true. Katniss asked me once if I had loved you right away. And I said, 'No, she crept up on me.' And you continue to everyday. I know we are both broken, and it takes ten times as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart. But with you by my side, the time flies by. May you never steal, lie, or cheat, but if you must steal, then steal away my sorrows, and if you must lie, lie with me all the nights of my life, and if you must cheat, then please cheat death because I couldn't live a day without you."

X-X-X

After the reception, they had left to everyone throwing rice, and gotten into the back of a car, the driver taking them to a very nice hotel.

Annie looked at Finnick and said, "I hope you know I was serious about what I said in my vows."

"What? Oh yeah. Your vows. I uh, I wasn't listening."

"Finnick!"

"I'm sorry, I just got lost in the moment!"

She huffed and crossed her arms, slouching down in the seat.

Finnick winced as he reached into his inside coat pocket and pulled out a sugar cube. With a nervous grin he said,

"Wanna sugar cube?"


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: The Puppy - An Odesta Short

"But look at that face!" Finnick held the little ball of fur up next to his face, matching it's huge, pleading, saucer eyes.

Annie gave him a look that he knew all too well, which meant, "Are you serious?" But it didn't last for long as the longing in all four of those eyes grew deeper and more pitiful.

"Fine!" she finally relented, throwing her hands up in defeat. "But if, and when, it poops or pees in the house, it's your dog. Only when it looks adorable like this is it mine," she finished, taking the puppy from him and holding it up to her face, wiggling her nose against it's nose.

The puppy wagged it's tail and licked her nose, causing her to scrunch up her face, but a laugh still escaped her lips.

When she looked back up, Finnick was doing a happy dance, wiggling his hips just like the puppy shaking it's tail. Several turns later, he finally noticed she was watching him. He stopped mid shake, plastering a large, embarrassed grin on his face.

"How much did you see?" he asked.

"Enough," Annie said, turning to walk to the front of the shelter.

X-X-X

"I still say we should name it Rex," Finnick said on the ride home, the new pup sitting in Annie's lap in the passenger seat.

"No. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. It is not a dinosaur, it is a puppy. And Rex just sounds like the name of a doggy delinquent."

As they pulled up to the red light, Finnick slowly turned to look at Annie. "Doggy delinquent? What is a doggy delinquent?"

"A destructive dog. One who chews on everything you love leaving it covered in slobber and puncture marks."

Finnick shook his head, looking back to the road and punching the gas as the light turned green. "Fine. How about 'Tadpole?'"

"No! It is a dog, not a frog! And if you name it Tadpole, I'll whack you like mole!"

"Please don't ever try to rhyme again. It just doesn't work."

"We are naming him…. Tuna."

"…Tuna?"

This was going to be a long ride home.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: The Puppy - An Everlark Short

"Aw, Katniss, come on!"

Peeta had been bothering her for the last week and a half about getting a puppy.

"No!" she said for what seemed like the millionth time.

"I promise it will be nothing like Buttercup."

Katniss looked at the cat sitting on the dinning room table. As if he knew he was being talked about, he looked at Katniss and hissed.

"Why I never cooked or drowned you is beyond me," she mumbled.

Looking back to Peeta she saw a mischievous grin on his face and she raised her eyebrows in curiosity.

"You know," Peeta said, his voice adopting the mischievousness of his grin, "dogs and cats don't get along…."

"What are you getting at?"

He sounded like a school boy holding a magnifying glass above ants on a sunny day. "Buttercup might hate it. It would be sheer torture to have a _canine _in his midst."

"You drive."

X-X-X

Upon arriving at the shelter, a volunteer had explained what all the different rooms were, what the different color papers on the cages meant, but neither of them paid much attention. Peeta was too excited to listen, and Katniss was on a mission - "Annoy Buttercup".

Katniss thought Peeta would want to take one of everything home, but he surprised her and while smiling at all the dogs they passed, he didn't linger very long. In fact, she was more affected than he was. Every pair of eyes that looked up at her, surrounded by fur had her maternal instincts crying out. Peeta just stood there patently, smiling while she crouched in front of each crate, but he kept looking further down the line.

They did this for about a half hour, until Peeta stopped in front of a crate, and stared. Walking up behind him, scowling in confusion, she looked into the cage and instantly her scowl melted.

Inside the cage a pair of ice blue eyes stared back at her, seeming to examine her, calculating. When she finally tore her eyes away from the pup's, she noticed it was Husky, with rust colored fur instead of black, and white. In fact, the rust was more orangey.

"Peeta, do you really like this dog, or do you just like it because it is orange?"

Peeta looked her right in the eyes, and the sincerity she saw there made her breath catch in her throat. "Katniss, trust me."

And within an hour they were walking out the door with their newly acquired puppy.

X-X-X

Several weeks later, Haymitch came over for dinner, after returning from a vacation to visit Annie and Finnick.

They had all finished eating, and Haymitch sat in a large recliner opposite of the couch where Katniss and Peeta were seated, Buttercup beside Katniss, curled up and taking a whole cushion for himself. Katniss stared at Buttercup in disgust.

"And get this," Haymitch continued, grabbing her attention back, "they got a dog! When I walked in they were arguing over what to name it! 'Tuna!' Annie shouted, and Finnick would just shout back, 'I am not naming my dog 'Tuna'!' All the while, the grey thing they called a puppy was laying in the living room chewing on a pair of Annie's shoes."

Peeta and Katniss chuckled with Haymitch.

Clearing his throat, Peeta said, "Haymitch? We, uh, we got a dog, too!"

Haymitch stared at them blankly. Finally, after several minutes of silence, he said, "Oh no. Not you, too! If that mutt touches my geese…."

"He is not a mutt!" Peeta defended. "He is a Husky."

"Well, fine," Haymitch relented. "Let me meet the boy."

Peeta smiled. "Come, Haymitch!"

"Lover Boy, I'm right here," Haymitch said after a slight hesitation. Before anyone could say another thing, the puppy bounded into the room, stood in front Haymitch and stared at him.

Haymitch glared at Peeta. "You named your dog after me? I'm flattered," he said sarcastically. Then turning back to the dog, Haymitch stared right back, almost challengingly. "Hello, Mr. Husky," he said cheekily, to which the puppy snorted, rolled his head, and walked over toward Katniss.

"Sweetheart, he's a lot like you," he said to Katniss. This made Peeta grin, but Katniss's face stayed blank as she said, "But not exactly."

"What do you mean?"

Katniss turned to look beside her at Buttercup, who now was snuggling up with Haymitch the Husky. "He likes cats."


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Rough Around The Edges - A Haymitch Short

Haymitch woke to knocking on his door. Swearing under his breath, he groggily got up from the couch where he had passed out the night before, and walked over to the door, shuffling his feet to avoid stepping on empty liquor bottles.

Opening the door and flinching at the bright morning sunlight, he groaned and said, "Wha? Who's there? The damn sun is bright!"

Hearing the familiar laughs of Katniss and Peeta, he ran his hand over his face and walked back into the house and into the kitchen, allowing them to walk in and muttered, "Hey, kiddos. Shut the door after you." Then mumbled to himself about the god forsaken hour as he looked at the clock and saw it was ten o'clock.

Pouring himself a glass of orange juice, he closed the fridge and turned to face the two familiar faces as he leaned against the counter. "So. What do you two love birds want from me at this most lovely hour of the day?" He said, ending with a large, snarky, fake grin.

"Well," Peeta began, "Katniss and I were talking last night-"

"You don't say?"

"And Katniss had a thought-"

"Now that's dangerous."

"And I think it's a good idea-"

"Okay, now I'm worried."

"Dammit, Haymitch!" Katniss shouted, slamming her palm down on the counter and starling Haymitch, making him jump and some orange juice slosh out of his cup.

"Now look what you made me do, Sweetheart!"

"Shut up, Haymitch and listen. Peeta may be patient with you but I am not. Especially when it is an idea as good as this." The tension melting on her furrowed brow as she smiled and said, "And you know how rarely I get those."

"Ha, ha," Haymitch said dryly. "You've got that right."

Chuckling, but falling silent under Katniss's glare, Peeta continued, "We think you should get a dog."

Haymitch spit out his orange juice in surprise, his eyes bulging. "What?!"

"We think you should get a dog," Peeta reiterated.

"I thought you said this was a _good_ idea."

Rolling her eyes, Katniss said, "Look. We love you. We have dinner with you every night. We help you clean. But we aren't going to be here all the time, and you need company. I know how lonely it can get." She reached out and put a hand on his arm. "Ever since we got our dog, things are a lot easier. You can talk to them, tell them all your fears, and secrets, anything, and all they do is listen and comfort. They don't judge. They don't pity."

"What about my geese?" he asked softly. He could feel his resolve melting and he didn't like it.

"They will be fine."

Looking back and forth between their two faces, he finally sighed and said, "Fine. But I get to pick it out."

They both smiled in relief.

"We'll take you to the shelter after lunch," Peeta said happily.

"What? So soon? I thought we would wait. Like maybe, say, a few years?"

Katniss glared at him and he threw his hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay, geeze. Turn the dagger eyes and flaming scowl off. I'll go."

X-X-X

As they crossed the threshold of the shelter, Haymitch immediately hated it. It reminded him of being a mentor. So many souls right there for him to save, but yet out of his control. Trapped in cages, just like the train that would carry them to the Capitol year after year. "Let's get this damn thing over with," he mumbled under his breath.

"What?" Katniss asked.

"Oh, nothing, Sweetheart. I just said, 'I'm so happy we are doing this.'"

She gave him a knowing smile, and rubbed his back.

Walking from cage to cage, peering in each one, Haymitch saw the same look on each face he had seen on the faces of the tributes he had mentored. Fear. Despair. Terror. Confusion. Blankness. It was nearly driving him mad until he came upon a cage and looked quickly into it, like he had the others, but what he saw made him stop in his tracks and stare.

What he saw in this dog's eyes was familiar, too, but in a different way. It was the look Peeta and Katniss had had. Determination. Tenacity. Fire. Courage. Wisdom. All he could do was stare.

Finally, he pointed and said, "This one."

Katniss grabbed the card off the cage and read, "Male, 8 months old, neutered, Weimaraner. The Weimaraner is known as "the Grey Ghost" because they stick so close to their owners, they are like a shadow. They like to lean into their owners as well, earning them the name, "Velcro Dogs"."

"How appropriate," Haymitch mused. "A ghost to help me deal with my own."

"Well, let's go take this card up there, and they will come and bring him up there."

"No, you guys go ahead. Fill out the paper work for me? I want to stay right here."

They both smiled, nodded, and headed off with the card.

Haymitch sat down in front of the cage, grabbing the wire grating of the door. He didn't want to leave because of those eyes. What he saw in them. He knew it was rare, and there was no way this one was slipping away.

"You and her got a lot in common," he said to the pup, who wagged it tail at the sound of his voice.

"What do you say, bud? You wanna be my shadow?"

The pup blinked it's ice blue eyes, wagged it's tail, and licked the tips of his fingers.

Smiling, Haymitch said, "I'll take that as a yes."

X-X-X

"So, what're you going to name it?" Peeta asked on the way home.

Looking down to the pup in his lap, Haymitch said, "Moonshine."

Katniss scoffed. "How original, Haymitch. Of course you would name it after liquor."

"No, not like that. In that case it would be "Ripper". But "Moonshine" because he is the color of the moon shining on a lake at night."

"Look at you," Peeta smiled. "Only had the dog for an hour and you are already deeper."

"Shut up, lover boy."

X-X-X

That night, Haymitch sat in his chair in the living room, and stared at the dog, who was laying in front of him, facing him, head in it's paws, looking up at him.

"Can I tell you a story?"

The pup merely turned it's head slightly to the side, and perked up an ear. It was so subtle, it made Haymitch laugh. The sound of his laugh made the dog wag it's tail, but it didn't move it's body, it's tail just thumped up and down, smacking the floor almost lazily.

The grin on his face growing, Haymitch said, "You and I are a lot more alike than I thought."

The dog stopped wagging it's tail.

"Well, don't be too ecstatic about that," Haymitch said dryly.

The dog nudged his foot, put his  
Head back down, tilted and ear cocked as if to say, "Go on."

Smiling for what felt like the millionth time that day, Haymitch said, "Okay, okay! Well, it all started with a thing called 'The Hunger Games'…."


	12. What's it like to love?

all-things-crazy on tumblr requested a prompt on everlarkdrabbles for "What's it like to love?" I thought of this.

—-

"What's it like to love?"

Katniss' hand shook as she continued to read the letter.

"A thought I've pondered time and time again.

Is it something you can get in a bottle?

Is it something you force?

Do you really feel like flying, soaring above the clouds?

Or do you just want to stick to the ground, as close to their side as can be?

I'd say the latter, but with my limp, you'd probably trip."

Katniss chuckled as a tear slipped down her cheek.

"Oy, what a rhyme. My rhyming should be a crime."

The tears now flowed freely, despite her growing smile.

"What's it like to love?

Love is seeing a smile that makes your heart stop.

Love is holding a person tight when their world caves in.

Love is worrying when they're not home on time.

Love is forgiving even when it still hurts.

Love is fighting, kissing, and making up.

What's it like to love?

It's hard. It's fun. It hurts. It burns. But just like when your mom tells you not to touch the oven when you're a kid, when you see an opportunity, you take it.

You may be left with scars, or you may be left without a trace, but either way you win, conquering curiosity.

What's it like to love?

To love is to be on fire, and with every burn, you fall a little bit deeper.

Every day you love a little harder.

Every scar a reminder.

What's it like to love?

To love is to live."

Katniss set the letter down on the table, a scowl forming as she stared at it, the tears continuing to fall and the smile still present.

She rested her cheek into her palm as she continued to stare at it.

"What's it like to love?"

She jumped at the familiar voice behind her, whipping around to be greeted by the face behind the letter.

Peeta's lopsided smile grew, obviously enjoying making her jump, as he concluded,

"It's to know you."


	13. Fists and pearls

**Disclaimer: All the genius for the characters and The Hunger Games universe goes to Suzanne Collins.**

**Fists and pearls **

**A little poem I wrote about the end of Catching Fire and Everlark**

Lost. You're gone. Nowhere to be found  
Then Finnick finds me here, and says my name aloud.

I aim an arrow at his heart  
The look on his face tears me apart.

"Remember who the real enemy is" his words ring true  
I bring my arrow down, and my thoughts back to you.

I aim my arrow to the sky  
And faintly hear, "let it fly".

It hits it's mark and breaks the dome  
It's found a way to get us home.

I faintly remember an explosion, fire and metal  
And a ringing in my ears like a boiling tea kettle.

The next thought I have when I wake up with fear  
Is to look everywhere for you, but you're not here.

Solitude is usually my rescue, my safe place to hide  
But nothing is safe anymore, without you by my side.

I'm alone again, but this time it's not the same  
I long for the boy with the bread, to hear him say my name.

They took you, he said, they have you out there  
This isn't right, this is wrong; it's not fair.

I carry the pearl everyday tucked safely in my pocket  
And I think of you every time I open up the locket.

I think of the berries, the games, the beach, the kiss  
All tucked into one pearl, clutched tightly in my fist.


	14. Sunset orange and double-knotted laces

**Disclaimer: All the genius for the characters and The Hunger Games universe goes to Suzanne Collins.**

**Sunset orange and double-knotted laces**

**Another Everlark Poem From Katniss's POV **

**(Warning – Mockingjay feels!)**

Sunset orange and double-knotted laces.  
Yours pops up most when I think of all the faces.

Faces of my friends, faces of my foes,  
Faces of the lost ones assault me in droves.

Usually you're here to hold me tight,  
And whisper in my ear, "It'll be alright".

But you're gone as the night sinks in.  
Gone as I face the demons within.

I see the face of little Rue,  
And I wish there was something I could do.

I see that day, the one that we met,  
And the look on your face I will never forget.

I see the face of Prim, as well,  
Being strong before the Quarter Quell.

I see you smile so wide, your face might break,  
And how you stick out your tongue when you ice a cake.

I see my father's face,  
And all the steps I wish I could retrace.

I see you handing me a pearl, "For you."  
It's all I can do to only say, "Thank you."

Usually you're here and I'd ask you to stay,  
To which you'd readily nod and say, "Okay."

You'd crawl next to me and your eyes would glisten,  
As you'd say something so quiet, I'd hold my breath and listen.

"Always" you'd say every time without fail.  
"Always" I'd hear as I'm met with sleep's veil.

When morning comes and I'd ask how you'd slept,  
You'd reply, "Good, except for the dreams I dreamt."

"You should wake me!" I'd say, willing you to hear.  
But you'd just look at me and grin from ear to ear.

"What?" I'd ask. "Did I say something wrong?"  
"No," you'd say, "You're just so strong."

The words you'd say next will stay with me forever,  
As you explain your nightmare endeavor.

"My nightmares are usually about losing you.  
And I don't know what I would do if that were true.

So when I wake up, panicked and afraid,  
I see you beside me and I know I'm okay."

Sunset orange and double-knotted laces.  
Yours pops up the most when I think of all the faces.

I see you tonight, walking through my dreams,  
And I can't help but imagine I can hear your screams.

Screams of pain, screams of fear,  
And I just want to wake you up and say, "Shhhhh… I'm here."

But you're gone, they took you away.  
I just hope I'll see you again one day.

I'll go door to door, wandering the hallways,  
Until I open yours and hear you say, "Always."

Sunset orange and double-knotted laces.  
Yours hurts the most when I think of all the faces.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15: Anxiety

Anonymous asked: Either post mockingjay or after the 74th hunger games. It really doesn't matter; I'll be happy with whatever! Make it your own, and thanks in advance! :)

Request: Katniss witnessing Peeta having an anxiety attack.

Three days into the victory tour, Katniss was walking the train hallways, up and down, back and forth, following the occasional sway of the car, hoping it would sweep her nightmares away along with it.

As she approached the dining car for the fifth time, she heard a commotion.

She heard what sounded like a frantic Effie chiding Haymitch, as always, though on what, she couldn't quite make out.

She was peeking through the cracked door and only caught a glimpse of the room before Effie was opening the door and leaving, nearly knocking her down in the process.

"Oh!" Effie cried, her over dramatic surprised gasp cause Katniss to grin. "I'm so sorry, Katniss! But dear, you really should announce yourself instead of skulking around like a criminal or something. Remember, chins up, smiles-"

"Smiles on," Katniss finished for her, overlapping her slightly. The grin on her face only growing at the sight of a perturbed scowl from Effie.

"Right," Effie said, almost dismissively, and walked past Katniss, calling over her shoulder, "Good night, Katniss. Get some sleep. Tomorrow's a big, big day!"

"Every day is a 'big, big day' for her," she heard Haymitch's voice say, his tone mimicking Effie's as best it could. "Have you seen her hair?"

Rolling her eyes, Katniss peeked around Haymitch, spotting Peeta sitting near a window, his hands clasped in his lap, his foot tapping incessantly as he stared out the window. It was so unlike him, she began to worry and took a step forward, only to be stopped by Haymitch's hand on her shoulder.

He stared past her as he spoke, his voice heavy. "I wouldn't, sweetheart."

"Why? What's wrong?"

He stared at the floor in silence before finally muttering, "Peeta's having an anxiety attack. After that fiasco in eleven, and finding out Snow is threatening everything he thought was safe…. He is carrying a lot, Katniss."

Katniss looked back to Peeta, her usual scowl on her face. He hadn't changed since the last time she looked at him. "Can I talk to him?"

Haymitch sighed. "Fine."

"Any advice?"

He smiled. "Stay alive."

She lightly shoved his shoulder as he walked past her.

Looking back to Peeta, she entered the room and sat down across from him, folding her feet up under herself. "Hey."

No response.

"Peeta, um, I'm sorry. This whole thing is my fault."

His foot stopped tapping.

"If I had just eaten the berries then-"

"Then what?" he said, almost angrily. "Then what, Katniss?" He got up and started to pace, running his hand through his hair vigorously, tugging on it on occasion, his breathing ragged, despite his run on sentence. "Then I would be on this train. Alone. Without you. Without the one thing that makes my life worth living."

Katniss could only meet his gaze, her words failing like always.

"And yet, that is how I feel, and here you are, right across from me. The one thing I want is sitting in the same room as me, but if I acknowledge it, it disappears."

Katniss stared at her lap.

"People are dying for us, Katniss. We started something back there that we have to finish."

He stopped and stared at her, and as she met his gaze, the fire in his eyes was startling.

"And it scares the life out of me."

He began to pace again.

"Peeta-"

"And not only that," he resumed as if he had never stopped, only this time staring at the floor as he paced, and using wild hand gestures. "Our families are in danger. Because of us. Because we didn't eat the berries. Because we defied them and now they will take away everything we love. And even though it hurts to have you so close but so far," he stopped again, still staring at the floor. "It would hurt even more if you were gone."

He finally looked up at her, the fire is his eyes now mere embers as sorrow clouded them over.

Katniss mustered up her best smile. "Then let's give 'em hell."

Peeta grinned, a small, sad, but genuine smile.

They both jumped at the sound of laughter. They turned to the doorway, finding Haymitch leaning against the door frame, arms crossed, and ankles locked.

"What?" Katniss asked with a scowl.

"You still have no idea the effect you can have, do you?" Haymitch grinned at her then walked off, shaking his head and chuckling.


	16. Chapter 16

Anonymous said:  
Drunk!peeta comes home to Katniss. Au or thgu it doesn't matter :)

Anonymous said: Drunk!peeta comes home to Katniss. Au or thgu it doesn't matter :)

Katniss paused the TV at the sound of knocking at her front door.

She smiled at what she saw through the peephole as she unlocked all the locks.

Opening the door, she came face to face with Peeta and their neighbor from across the hall, Johanna Mason.

Johanna was throwing a party, and Katniss had gone, but decided to head home early.

Peeta had the biggest, most goofy grin on his face, and she could tell by the sheer magnitude of it that he was way beyond tipsy. "Wow," he said in a tone of voice someone uses when admiring art. "You are _beautiful_."

Katniss rolled her eyes. "Thank you."

"I mean it!" he insisted. "You're the most beautiful woman I've _ever_ seen."

"So I've heard," she chuckled.

Johanna patted Peeta's back and gave Katniss a knowing smile. "He's all yours, brainless."

"Hey!" Peeta turned to Johanna, his face screwed up in a comical scowl. "Don't insult my woman like that!"

"Your woman?" Johanna played along, trying to hide her smile.

Peeta shoved his hands in his pockets and rocked up on his toes. "Yup." He popped the "p". Then inches away from Johanna's face, and pointing at his chest. "_Mine_."

Johanna fanned her hand in front of her face, scrunching it up in disgust. "God, Bread Boy, how much whiskey did you have?"

"_Juuuuuuust enough_," he said, looking back to Katniss with a wink.

"Thanks, Jo," Katniss said, taking Peeta's forearm and pulling him into the apartment, careful not to move too fast, to avoid him tripping.

"No problem. Have fun," she said suggestively and waggled her eyebrows as she walked back to her apartment.

As Katniss was locking the door after Jo, she felt Peeta very close behind her.

She was about to ask what he was doing when he leaned in just a little bit further and took a long whiff of her hair.

She whipped around to face him, her braid smacking him in the face in the process, but he seemed to not notice. "Are you sniffing my hair."

He sighed with that goofy grin again. "Yeah."

Katniss rolled her eyes as she smiled and grabbed his arm again, leading him to the bedroom. "Come on, twinkle toes, let's get you to bed."

"Twinkle toes?"

Katniss had to bite her cheek to keep from laughing at the perplexed expression on his face.

"Why did you call me Twink-" and he tripped on his own feet, Katniss catching him before he hit the ground.

He looked up at her, face starting to blush and a shy, lopsided grin on his face as she smiled back and said, "That's why."

Peeta laughed as if that was the funniest thing he had ever heard. "You knew that would happen?"

They continued to walk. "Yep."

"Woah. You can tell the future?"

Katniss snorted. "Yes."

"Woah." Peeta stared off into space, an amazed look on his face as he sank down onto the bed. "Tell me something else."

"About the future?"

"_Yeeeah_." He said this like it was a new conversation, completely blown away.

"Well, I know that you will be asleep in about five minutes."

"Pffffft. Nope." He popped the "p". "You're terrible at this."

"Oh really?"

He nodded then yawned as he sank further into the bed, his eyes drooping. "Yup." Popping the "p".

"Okay, then. I can tell you that pretty soon we are going to have a baby Mellark running around here."

"A PUPPY?!" He sat up excitedly, quickly fading back into the bed, eyes closing and a snore starting to come on.

Katniss laughed. "No. Not quite. Only one set of legs, not two. At least, I hope it's not twins."

Peeta's eyes were shut as he mumbled, "We can name him Rover."

"Rover?"

"Fine, fine," Peeta swatted at the air aimlessly, letting his hand fall to the pillow under his head as he snuggled in. "Fido."


	17. Like a beautiful blonde pineapple!

_A/N: Written for Peeta's Paintbox, Prompts in Panem, Day 1 - Red._

X-X-X

Katniss stared at her image in the mirror, grimacing at her reflection.

Under all the lights lining the mirror, the pounds and pounds of makeup on her face, and her hair in a blonde wig pinned up in tight curls with a bit of teasing here and there, she hardly recognized herself.

If it weren't for Johanna basically dragging her to the auditions, she wouldn't be in this mess.

The local theatre was doing a production of Grease, and Johanna wanted to be Rizzo more than anything.

Katniss had gone into the little room to audition, three pairs of eyes staring at her, and even that was three pairs too many.

A man behind a table took a quick hit from a flask as she walked in, quickly tucking it away as he saw her walk in.

"People are that bad?" Katniss asked him, a slight grin turning up her face.

The man smiled guiltily and hung his head between his elbows and forearms resting on the table. "You have no idea, sweetheart."

He introduced her to the man on his left as the costume designer, Cinna. He was dressed fashionably, but in a comfortable style Katniss actually liked, and looked every bit the part of a theatre crew with his barely noticeable gold eye liner and red scarf.

The director - who she learned was named Haymitch - then introduced the woman behind the piano as the music director, Effie Trinket, to which she was quick to interject she was also the assistant costume designer and choreographer.

"So, what're you going to sing for us, sweetheart?" Haymitch smiled, despite his dry tone.

"Well, uh," Katniss began, "my friend literally told me about this an hour ago, so I don't really have anything prepared."

The woman behind the piano tisked in disapproval, and jotted something down on a piece of paper on top of the piano. "Well, let me at least vocalize you."

"Excuse me?"

The woman looked at her as if she were dense. "Check out your vocal range?"

"Oh. Oh, yes. Sorry." She approached the piano and followed the strings of notes and silly syllables Effie asked her to repeat.

As soon as she was done, Cinna spoke up and said, "Do you know any folk songs?"

"'The hanging tree' and 'Deep in the meadow'."

"I know the chords for 'Deep in the meadow' by heart. Would you mind singing it if I played it with you?"

"Uh, sure, I guess."

As he sat down at the piano, he played a chord and told Katniss that was the key he wanted her to sing in because it was the best part of her voice.

"So you're trying to make me sound pretty?" she said lowly and grinned at him.

He returned her grin. "I'm trying to help you make an impression."

It must have worked because they called her back in for several readings, finally ending in a call from Haymitch, letting her know she was offered the part of Frenchy.

"It's everyone's favorite role, but you have no major solos, so I thought it would be perfect for you, hating that lime light so much. You don't know how hard I fought for you to be this role. Effie wanted you to be Sandy or the peppy, perky, annoying-as-hell cheerleader, but I put my foot down"

"Everyone's favorite? Do you think I will do it justice?"

"You have no idea the effect you can have, do you?" He chuckled over the phone.

They still needed someone to play Doody, Frenchy's love interest, and asked if she knew anyone. If she was supposed to fall in love with anyone, real or not real, it would be one person. "I know just the person."

She asked her best friend Peeta if he would do it. "For me?" she begged and pleaded, with him finally relenting, and despite being tone deaf, he got the part - they said it made him that much more endearing.

She and Peeta grew really close over the course of rehearsals, making their on stage chemistry "effervescent" as Effie said.

Cinna decided the school colors should be red and white, complimenting the Pink Ladies' jackets and T-Birds' jackets nicely.

The first time she had walked out of the dressing room in her first costume at a fitting, Cinna could not contain his smile. She had a red pencil skirt with a black belt, a white blouse, and the pink lady jacket hung over her shoulders.

Across the room, Finnick Odair, who was playing Kinickie whistled, making Katniss glare at him. "Man! Wow, Cinna! What did you did to Katniss, because the girl I see is on fire!"

Katniss glanced beside Finnick to Peeta, and had to bite her cheek to not smile at his slightly agape mouth as he stared at her.

Unfortunately, Finnick caught her looking at Peeta, and turned to look at him, putting his index finger under Peeta's chin and closing his mouth, a knowing grin spread on his face as Peeta turned to him with a blush, and lightly punched Finnick's arm.

Katniss looked at herself in the mirror, and saw Cinna appear behind her reflection. Meeting his eyes in the mirror she asked, "Do you think I can do this?"

"I'm not a betting man, but, girl on fire, I'm betting on you."

Katniss smiled at the memories as a knock sounded at the dressing room door. "Yes?" all the girls replied at once, causing some to giggle, and Katniss and Johanna to glance at one another and roll their eyes despite their grins.

"Is everyone decent?" they heard Cinna's voice through the door.

"Yes," once again rang out unanimously through the dressing room.

Cinna walked in, smiling as always, checking each girl's costume, hair, and makeup in turn.

As he got to Katniss, he could see her nerves. "Hey, there, girl on fire." Finnick had a big mouth, so that's what everyone called her now. "You are going to be just fine."

Katniss sighed. It was intermission, after all, the show was half over, but up next was the hand jive, which was a grueling dance Effie had put together, and the prom of the fictitious Rydell high school, so she had on a silky, yellow, poofy dress.

"You think I look okay?"

He turned her back toward the mirror, and met her eyes in their reflection, "Remember, girl on fire, I'm still betting on you."

As they got a call over the intercom saying 5 minutes to places, Katniss touched up her bright red 50's color lipstick, and went out into the hallway.

She spied Peeta in his costume, a suit and red tie, his shirt selves rolled up to his elbows and his T-birds jacket held lazily on one finger over his shoulder.

"Hey! Doody!" She called in the annoying high pitched voice Haymitch had requested she use on stage.

He turned to look at her, a smile instantly on his face as he approached her. He was using his character walk as he approached, his hips thrown forward, his shoulders slightly tilted back as he swaggered over to her. "Heya, French! How's it goin'?"

"Doody, how do I look?" She put her hands in her hips and jutted one out.

He looked her up and down. "Like a beautiful blonde pineapple!"

Katniss huffed in anger, turned on her heel and walked away, smiling as Peeta called after her, "Katniss! Katniss, I thought we were just running the dialogue. You want to know what I really think?"

She wiped the smile off of her face and turned around, arms crossed, trying to look annoyed, but gasped I surprise when she found Peeta only inches from her face. "What?" she asked, her voice faint and weak, much like her knees at the moment.

He grinned that lopsided, dimpled grin as he leaned in even closer, his lips barely grazing her ear and making her shudder involuntarily as he whispered, "You should wear that red lipstick more often."

"Places!" they heard the stage manager scream, but neither one of them moved, their eyes locked on each other.

Peeta grinned again and leaned in for a quick kiss.

Effie rushed by and simply whispered, "Manners!"

They broke away from one another laughing as Cinna walked up, turned Peeta to him and wiped off the lipstick that had rubbed off during the kiss. "Okay, okay, you two. Wait until after the show." He lightly shoved Peeta over toward his place as he smiled and turned to Katniss, touching up her lipstick for her. "I see now why your stage chemistry is _effervescent_," he chuckled.


	18. Reading Rainbow

_A/N: Written for Peeta's Paintbox, Prompts in Panem, Day 2 - Orange._

X-X-X

Katniss had made sure that her children didn't watch any of that modern day crap they called a "children's show".

"Wiggle, waggle, brittle, bagel," she said bitterly to Peeta when he asked why their children were not allowed to watch TV on a Saturday morning.

"That….." Peeta scrunched up his face in a mix of confusion and amusement. "….made absolutely _no_ sense."

"I don't care what the shows are called, they can't watch them."

"Are you saying there is a show called 'Brittle Bagel'? Because as a baker, you have me intrigued…."

Katniss stopped stirring the tea in her hand and looked up at him, her eyebrows raised.

"Okay, okay," Peeta relented, throwing his hands up in surrender.

"Why can't they just watch something like I did? Like…. Reading Rainbow?"

"I had forgotten all about that show!"

"Well go search it! Shoo! Be gone, my bakers man!"

"_Aaaaassssss yooooou wiiiiiish_!" Peeta said through his hands, making his voice muffled, and spun out of the kitchen.

"Bakers," Katniss huffed.

"Heard that!" she heard Peeta call through the kitchen door, making her grimace.

Several minutes later as she stood in the pantry tapping her chin with her index finger while staring at the multitude of cereal boxes on the shelf trying to make a decision, Peeta came in and wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Cereal? Really?"

"Really really."

"Well, I found the show and the kids are now glued to the television, so why don't you and I abuse this time we have alone, and…."

"What are you suggesting, Mr. Mellark?" Katniss said in mock naivety.

"Well, _Mrs. Mellark_, I was thinking we could…." He nuzzled into her hair, brushing his lips against her ear as he spoke, "Make a real breakfast."

"Oh my god, are you serious?" She turned to him, her face beaming in excitement.

"Seriously serious."

"Well then shoo! Make me pancakes, bakers man!"

"What is with this 'bakers man' thing?"

Katniss scowled. "Sorry. Been playing patty cake too much with Finn. He just loves it so much. Every time I say 'bakers man', he says, 'daddys pan', which I am assuming is the cake pan you two made that cake in last week."

"Well, duh, we didn't make cookies in a cake pan. My children know better."

"_Your_ children?"

"When it comes to baking. See, I don't teach them how to burn down a house, I teach them how to bake beautiful things. And are you sure he isn't saying, 'daddy's the man'?"

Katniss stared at him for several seconds before answering dryly, "I'm positive."

Peeta already had pancakes made, and was putting them on plates, sitting down across from Katniss just as their oldest daughter stuck her head in the kitchen door. "Hey, daddy?"

Peeta sighed a small sigh, but quickly concealed it with that grin. "Yes, sweetie?"

"Can, uh…. Can you come help me and Finn for a little bit?"

"Sure."

Katniss moved to get out of the chair, when her daughter motioned frantically for her to stop. "No, mama! Not you. You're not allowed."

"Hey! That's not very nice," Peeta chided the little girl.

Katniss shrugged, reaching for Peeta's plate and pulling it alongside hers. "Oh well. I don't mind. More pancakes for me, oh wonderful master of all things creative and beautiful."

"Ha-ha," Peeta said, only his head poking around the kitchen door as his daughter pulled him away.

After eating the pancakes, Katniss was still hungry, and didn't want to chance burning down the house, or setting off the smoke alarm, as both would most likely result in an 'I told ya so' from Peeta, so she went back and grabbed that giant neon orange bag of grocery store brand cereal.

She had a bowl and spoon in hand, and was just reaching into the fridge for milk when she heard foot steps in the kitchen.

She slowly peeked her head up above the open fridge door, jumping slightly when she found herself face to face with Haymitch. "What're you doing?" She asked slowly, drawing the words out.

"Just…. Scavenging."

"You didn't go grocery shopping again, did you?"

Haymitch pulled back with his hand on his heart, an over exaggerated look of shock and horror on his face. "Me?" He barked.

"Yes. You."

"I'll have you know I have a pantry _full_ of food."

"Then why are you here to '_scavenge_'?"

"I'm scavenging for a distraction for Peeta and the mini me's."

"You're buying them time?"

"Yes." He nodded firmly, a smile in his face.

"Aw, how sweet of you, Haymitch!" Katniss had her hand to her heart, her best proud mommy face on.

"Thank you." Haymitch nodded again.

"But seriously." Katniss dead panned.

"What?"

"Your pantry?"

"Dry as a bone."

"Knew it."

"Killjoy."

"Moocher."

"Hey. I am a muncher, not a moocher."

"You are many things, Haymitch, but neither muncher not moocher fit the bill and there are little ears nearby, so I will leave it at that," Peeta said from behind them, making them both jump.

"Lover boy, you're going to give me a heart attack, if that sweetheart of yours doesn't do it first from breaking my heart."

"Blah, blah, blah," Katniss said quietly as she shoved a spoonful of cereal into her mouth.

"You two!" Peeta barked, Katniss stopping mid chew, Haymitch with his finger pointed at Katniss, his lips pursed about to speak. "Don't make me put you in time out."

They both hung their heads simultaneously.

"That's what I thought," Peeta grinned. "Now, Katniss, leave the cereal alone-"

"But-"

"And come with me-"

"But-"

"_Our_ children have a wonderful surprise for you."

Katniss pushed her cereal bowl forward, got out of the chair, and went to walk out of the kitchen in front of a beaming Peeta. "Right. Because everything you touch turns to gold."

She yelped as Peeta smacked her on the rear lightly. "Not everything."

"Hey!"

"It was gold in the first place."

Katniss opened her mouth to say something snarky, but only a blush came to her cheeks as they turned up in a wide grin.

"Now, what surprise did the kids…." She trailed off as she eyed two pieces of art on the table.

One was obviously Finn's, as it was a finger painting. It was a rainbow, rough and the colors ran together in places, but it was beautiful to her because she saw not only Finn's finger prints in the tracks of paint, but also Peeta's, where he had obviously helped his son out a bit.

And the next painting was surely her daughter's. She had her father's gift for making beautiful things. It was a painting of a sunset, and the brush strokes were from one of Peeta's favorite brushes. And once again, she saw two different sets of brush strokes, Peeta's and their daughter's. It faded from twilight to Peeta's favorite color of orange and overlooked a meadow which looked eerily familiar.

She looked up at Peeta, tears brimming in her eyes.

He smiled proudly. "They couldn't find my orange paint and needed help mixing some up."

"Because daddy's the man!" Finn exclaimed, holding two paint stained thumbs up, making Katniss giggle.

"Mama?" a small voice called behind Katniss.

She turned around and looked at her daughter, her blue eyes so much like her fathers, and so full of life just like his. "I made a sunset like you described to me from when you went out with grandpa that one time. And Finn drew a rainbow because-"

"Because daddy's the man!" Finn exclaimed once again, holding two paint stained thumbs up.

"_Because_," her daughter glared at her brother, making Katniss stifle a laugh. "Because we love that TV show, and you grew up watching it and it says it's important to be creative and use your imagination, and we just decided it would be best-"

"I love them," Katniss cut her daughter off, knowing she got her lack of elocution from her.

"You do?" Katniss had never seen her daughter look more proud.

"I do."

"Do you think we can hang them up by daddy's art?"

Katniss smiled. "Yes."

"Really?" The little girl squealed.

"Really really."

Peeta scooped up Finn and all four of them joined in a group hug as Haymitch walked through the kitchen door, eating a bowl of cereal.

"Aw, isn't this a lovely picture?"

Katniss scowled at him.

He stopped mid chew. "What?"


	19. It was an Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie

_A/N: Written for Peeta's Paintbox, Prompts in Panem, Day 3 - Yellow. It was an Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini  
_

X-X-X

The wind blew a salty breeze and the trees swayed lazily as Katniss and Peeta stared at the gentle waves ebbing and flowing on the shoreline.

It was a beautiful sight, but terrifying at the same time. Finnick and Annie had just moved to California and had asked them to come and visit for a few days.

They had jumped at the offer, both excited to finally see the ocean, but once they got there, it was a bit unnerving.

Finnick grinned at the two of them. "Come on, ye land lubbers! Go get yer sea legs!"

Peeta and Katniss turned to him in unison with incredulous looks on their faces.

"What? Okay, okay, at least get your toes wet instead of standing forty feet back from the water, staring at it like it will eat you."

Annie walked up just then, handing Finnick a yellow snow cone.

"Where did you get that?" Peeta asked, sounding like a four year old.

"What flavor is that?" Katniss asked, a somewhat disgusted look on her face.

"Lemon drop!" Finnick announced proudly, a huge smile on his face, which quickly melted as he perked and eyebrow up at Katniss. "Why?"

"Well, you know what they say about yellow snow…."

Finnick smiled with tight, closed lips, swallowed, turned and walked over to a trashcan, and tossed the snow cone in, then pretended to dry heave over the can.

He walked back with the same tight grin on his face, looking right at Katniss. "Why must you ruin lemon drop for me. Why?"

Annie tried to hide her own grin, but was unsuccessful. "Over on the pier. They have face painting and stuff, too. All free. If you need some time to get used to the water, I understand. Go ahead. Procrastinate all you want." Annie waved them over toward the pier.

Peeta and Katniss took one look at each other and bolted toward the pier as if their lives depended on it.

The first thing Peeta did was get a snow cone.

"What flavor you want?" the bored man behind the counter asked.

Peeta scanned the list of flavors. "Um, tangerine, please!"

"Of course!" Katniss mumbled.

"What?"

"You're only getting that because it is orange colored."

Peeta scoffed as he took his snow cone from the man.

"And what flavor for you, miss?"

"Lime, please."

Peeta scoffed again.

"What?"

"You're only getting that because it is green."

She stuck her tongue out at him.

"I take it back. You are what you eat, and today you are bitter, sour, and zesty."

"_Zesty_?"

"Hush. I am a baker and it's a real word I use every day. Don't challenge me, Everdeen."

"Well, then you go nicely with me with your sweetness, boldness, and obnoxiousness….ly bright color."

Peeta stuck his tongue out at her.

They made their way to the face painting booth, and Peeta somehow convinced the people at the booth to let he and Katniss paint one another's faces.

Peeta painted a big, pastel yellow sun with a pair of sunglasses and a smile on one of her cheeks, squiggly rays shooting out around it across her face, and somehow turned the rays close to her eyes into what looked like bird wings made out of flames.

She pointed to her face after looking in the mirror. "You had to use orange in some way, didn't you?"

"Sour puss."

"Gimme that brush, tangerine man."

Peeta grinned as she took the brush from him with a scowl. "Oh, look. When you scowl it makes the sun look overcast," he taunted.

Katniss dipped her brush in the paints and went to work on his face.

When she was done, she grinned manically and denied him a chance to look in the mirror.

"How long does this stuff last?" she asked one of the booth workers.

"Until you get in the water."

Katniss looked back at Peeta and took off running toward the beach, a giant grin on her face.

Peeta looked in the mirror and saw a lemon with sunglasses kissing an orange with sunglasses, only on either side of his nose, so they looked like they were kissing his nose. "_Kaaaaatniiiisss_!" He called, dropping the mirror and taking off after her.

When he reached her, she was on the edge of the waves, he toes touching the very brink of every wave in her yellow and white polka dot bikini.

Finnick was walking around behind them somewhere gently singing,  
"It was an Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini  
that she wore for the first time today  
an Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Yellow Polka Dot Bikini…." over and over again.

"What are you waiting for?" Peeta asked her.

"You," she said simply, taking hold of his hand.

He maneuvered his way out of her grip, wet his hands in the surf, and smeared the fire wings by her eyes.

"What'd you do that for?" She asked, somewhat perturbed.

He looked out over the ocean, took her hand once again, gave it a squeeze, then scooped her up into his arms bridal style despite her squeals of protest.

As he began to walk out into the water he looked at her mischievously. "Because this is no place for a girl on fire," and dropped her squealing into the surf.


	20. First train home

_A/N: Written for Peeta's Paintbox, Prompts in Panem, Day 4 - Green._

X-X-X

Why was she doing this? Why was she here? Katniss pondered as she sat in her seat on the train next to an obnoxious snoring man whose breath wreaked of alcohol.

She stared out the window at the scenery rushing by, a blur of green, and just wanted to be out there, getting fresh air and marveling at the little things around her.

Katniss was on her way to see him. To see Peeta. He had been deployed to some country she couldn't pronounce, but not to fight. No, though he was a trained soldier, his main purpose there was to go into the thick of things and take photographs.

She had no idea how he did it, as he would cry when she gut a deer or prepped a chicken for him to cook, but he was out there seeing people die, surrounded by stone and sand, and blood, far away from her escape of green.

Popping in her earbuds, she put her iPod on shuffle and her breath felt like it was being stolen from her as the first song played, it was so accurate as she stared out the window, clinging to her little bit of breath, her little bit of green, her little bit of peace on the other side of the glass.

_I've got to get on it._  
_I've got to get on it._  
_I've got to get on it._  
_Bodies disengaged, our mouths are fleshing over._  
_Is this an echo game? Irises retreating to ovals of white._  
_The urge to feel your face, and blood rushing to paint my handprint._  
_A Frisbee one by one; your vinyl on lamanent, desperate some kind of contact._

_First train home, I've got to get on it._  
_First train home, I've got to get on it._  
_First train home, I've got to get on it._  
_To catch, to catch, catch-catch, catch._  
_First train home, I've got to get on it._  
_First train home, I've got to get on it._  
_First train home, I've got to get on it._  
_First Train home_

_Home_. Where was home for Katniss?

_Temporal deadzone where clocks are barely breathing._  
_Yet no one cares to notice for all the yelling, all night clamor to hold it together._  
_I want to play ‒ don't wait ‒ forms in the hideaway_  
_I want to get on with getting on with things_  
_I want to run in fields, paint the kitchen, and love someone_  
_And I can't do any of that here, can I?_

With Peeta. Home was with Peeta.

_First train home, I've got to get on it._  
_First train home, I've got to get on it._  
_First train home, I've got to get on it._  
_First Train home._

_So what? You've had one too many._

She looked to the man sleeping beside her and smiled.

_So what? I'm not that much fun to be with._

Her smile faded and she stared at her hands in her lap.

_So what? You've come silly hatter._

She stifled a laughed as one of the attendants came walking by, dressed in her uniform, with mile high hair and a hat covered in 3D butterflies.

_So what? I didn't want to come here, anyway._

Once again her smile faded as she remembered where she was.

_What matters you, doesn't matter, matter to me._  
_What matters to me, doesn't matter, matter to you._  
_What matters to you, doesn't matter, matter to them._  
_What matters to them, doesn't change anything._

She was going to do this. She was. She looked out the window again, finding it eased her shortness of breath.

_Got to get on it._  
_First train home._  
_Got to get on it._  
_First train home._

_First train home I've got to get on it_  
_(I've got to get on it)_  
_To catch, to catch, catch-catch, catch._  
_(First train home)_  
_First train home I've got to get on it_  
_First train home._  
_(First train home)_  
_To go, to go, to go, get, get, get, get, out, out, out, out, now, now, now, now._

X-X-X

When she saw him, her breath caught in her throat and tears pricked the back of her eyes. He was turned away from her, but his form, though clad in a dark army green t-shirt and khakis, was unmistakable, and that mop of blonde wavy hair she missed so much.

He was home. He was here. He was safe.

She approached him slowly and stood behind him, trying to catch her breath when he spun around and met her eyes, his face breaking into an ear to ear grin. He pulled her into a hug, which she only lightly returned.

He pulled away, a look of concern on his face. "Are you okay?"

Katniss reached her hand out and touched his face, lightly tracing his features with her finger tips. She then brought up her other hand and started stretching his face in all different directions.

"Uh, Katniss," Peeta said, his voice quiet, "I'm feeling a little bit like that scene in Hook where that kid is smooshing Peter's face."

She smiled and whispered, "Oh there you are, Peeta."

When she released his face, she lunged at him, holding him in as tight a hug she could manage, refusing to let go.

"What was that all about?" Peeta asked, muffled into the top of her hair as he kissed it. When he felt his shirt grow damp and Katniss' body shake with gentle sobs, he tried to pull her away and look her in the eye, but she wouldn't allow it. "Katniss, what's wrong?"

She lifted her face from the crook of his neck and whispered in his ear, "I had to make sure you were real." She felt Peeta exhale. "I've dreamt of this since the day you left, and every time you would try to hug me, I would try to hug back, but you vanished into thin air as I did. I would wake up screaming. Not only could I not touch you in person, I couldn't touch you in my dreams."

"Oh, Katniss." He finally pulled her away enough to look in her eyes. "Oh, Katniss, I'm so tired."

"Right, let's get you home and adjusted back-"

"No."

"No?"

"I mean yes, but that's not what I mean." He took his dog tags off and put them around her neck. "I'm done. No more."

"You…. You're leaving me?"

"No!" He reassured, a bit too loudly. Then, cupping her face in his hand, his voice growing soft, "No. Not in one hundred lifetimes would I make that mistake."

She leaned into his touch and closed her eyes in relief, a few tears falling unbidden down her cheeks.

"I mean I'm done doing this. No more trips, no more leaving, no more missing you."

She opened her eyes wide and stared into his blue eyes, the ones she missed so much, and their intensity held her there. "I…. I'm not sure I follow."

"I'm 'retiring'. I'm coming back home to stay and open that bakery I always wanted to, and live the life I've always wanted to…. With the woman I've always wanted to."

For what seemed like the millionth time that day, Katniss' breath caught in her throat as Peeta got down on one knee, and pulled out a ring box, opening it to reveal a simple band with a single pearl set in the center.

"I was going to say something profound and beautiful, but, I think I summed it up with what I just said."

Katniss merely nodded, her bottom lip quivering despite her smile.

"Katniss, will you marry me?"

"You have to ask?"

X-X-X

**One year later**

Peeta had cooked her favorite of his new recipes, cheese buns, and packed a few sandwiches and bottles of water for them to eat on their picnic in the meadow behind their house.

The tall, green grass swayed in the gentle breeze and entertained their three month old daughter with it's swaying.

Peeta grabbed Katniss' hand and squeezed, meeting her eyes and smiling. Then let go and started tickling their daughter who giggled.

She smiled at the sight of it all. Little did she know how accurate that song was she had heard on that train a year ago. She thought it meant to get away, to get back to what she knew, but really, the first train _home_ was the ride back with Peeta that day, to the same place she came from, but with a new way of life.

A life with the person she could live a hundred lifetimes and not deserve.

A life that was continually new, and fresh, and engaging.

She was no longer just living, she had a life. She had a love. She had a home. She had Peeta. And that is what made it home for her.


	21. It was a Toy Story wallpaper kinda day

_A/N: Written for Peeta's Paintbox, Prompts in Panem, Day 5 - Blue._

X-X-X

Katniss and Peeta lay in the meadow, a lazy Summer day passing by too quickly, yet all too slowly at the same time.

As they lay side by side, watching the clouds pass by, they pointed out the shapes they saw and would laugh hysterically at one another's interpretations.

"You think that looks like a _cow_?" Peeta asked Katniss incredulously, despite his grin.

"You think that looks like a _T-Rex_?" Katniss mimicked his tone, stealing a glimpse at him out of the corner of her eye.

All she could make out through the tall blades of grass between them was a tuft of his blonde summer mop of a haircut, and two blue eyes, shimmering like water, reflecting the clouds passing by. It was as if the sky never stopped between itself and his eyes, it merely continued down to his soul, through those beautiful windows he called eyes.

She found herself staring, her mind drifting, and if Peeta noticed, he sure wasn't showing it.

Why was she here? With him? More so, why was he here…. With her?

Peeta was a good person, kind, strong, confident, and helpful. No one he ever met was a stranger to him, or too far gone to help.

She scooted over and laid so their heads were touching, crushing the grass that obscured her view.

Only, now, she was so close that grass wasn't obscuring her view, but because of their proximity, Peeta was blurry when she tried to steal a glance. She stifled a laugh when she realized it, but it quickly faded as she studied his face, the only clear thing his blue eyes in contrast to everything else in her view. Even when blurry, they still took her breath away.

X-X-X

Katniss might have thought he didn't notice her trying to steal glances at him, but he did. It was very hard for him to keep a straight face as her saw her facial expressions change with her internal thought process.

What she didn't know is that he was stealing glances at her when she wasn't stealing glances at him.

All he could see through the tall blades of grass was the tip of her nose, which he found himself wanting to kiss very badly, the beginning of her signature braid, and grey eyes.

The grey eyes that matched storm clouds. The grey eyes that he saw in his dreams. They looked electric, as if they were literal storms with lightning when she was angry, and clouded over like an overcast day when she was sad. And when she was happy, they sparkled, like steel.

He could see the clouds racing by above them reflected in her eyes, and they looked even more beautiful than they did in the sky. He wanted to point out that one looked like a bunny, but he only saw it in her eyes and could not tell where in the sky it would be.

He tried to keep his face impassive as he saw her stare at him in his peripheral. What he wanted more than anything was to just turn to her and kiss her, but he would never force something like that on her. If he could just turn and look at her, that would suffice.

She moved and laid next to him, the shells of their ears brushing one another and he couldn't tell if it was his or hers that were burning, probably with a blush.

X-X-X

"Peeta," she said quietly. "When did we become friends?"

"Forever." Peeta said.

Katniss laughed. "When did forever start?"

"Oh, now I get it. When we were 5."

"What? No way."

"Yes! You volunteered to sing a song in front of the assembly, and right then and there I knew I was a goner."

"A goner?" Katniss laughed. "Okay, then, what was I wearing?"

She glanced over and saw his eyes shut tight in concentration, then the tension eased and he smiled as he spoke, his eyes still closed as if picturing it. "You had on a red plaid dress and your hair… it was in two braids instead of one."

To be honest, Katniss couldn't remember herself, and the fact that he did should creep her out, but for some reason, it didn't.

Peeta stared at the clouds again, still smiling. "You stood up on a stool and sang it for us. And, I promise this is real, every bird outside stopped singing and listened."

"Oh, please," Katniss said, laughing, though her tone was quiet.

"No, this is real! I'm serious!"

"You have a… Somewhat creepy, but remarkable memory," Katniss dead panned.

Peeta smiled. "Creepy, is it? Well then how about this?" He turned to face her, as did she, and their noses touched. He spoke very quietly and sincerely. "I remember everything about you," he paused and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "You're the one who wasn't paying attention."

"I am now," Katniss said, her voice too breathy for her liking.

"Well, I don't have much competition here," he says with a chuckle and gesture of his arms to the open and empty meadow.

"You don't have much competition anywhere." Katniss said, surprising even herself by not only the words coming out of her mouth, but at how boldly they came out.

They stared at each other for a second, each blushing and turning away.

"So, Peeta Mellark has a crush on me. Aw!" Katniss teased. Her tone turned serious. "Peeta, who do you want to marry someday?"

"She came here with me."

Katniss tuned to see him already looking at her. Those eyes, those blue stained glass windows to his soul were so sincere and confident. "Me?" She squeaked, pointing to her chest.

Peeta turned back to the sky and laughed.

Katniss followed suit, not wanting to see his face when he said he was joking.

"You have no idea. The effect you can have." He said, no trace of teasing or lying in his voice.

They turned once again to each other, holding the other's gaze, and their lips met in a soft kiss.

When they broke the kiss, Katniss turned back to the sky, Peeta following several seconds after.

Several minutes of awkward silence fell on them.

"Stay with me?" Katniss whispered, not ashamed of the little warble in her voice.

He turned to face her, as did she, and their noses touched, just like the first time. "Always," he said with a smile, and a tone implying nothing else had ever crossed his mind.

Kissing the tip of her nose, he whispered, "Always."


	22. As long as you can find yourself

_A/N: Written for Peeta's Paintbox, Prompts in Panem, Day 6 - Violet. As long as you can find yourself, you'll never starve.  
_

X-X-X

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No!"

"Yes!" Peeta half shouted, catching himself and biting the tip of his thumb in an attempt to plug his growing frustration. "Katniss?"

"Yes?" She called from another room.

"Can you come here, please?"

"Where is here?"

"My painting studio."

"Okay just a second."

Peeta stared at their daughter who sat in a chair beside where he had been sitting, a blank canvas in front of them. She had her arms crossed, her mother's signature scowl, and angry pouted lips. It would be comical if he weren't so frustrated. He'd have to remember it to paint later.

Katniss walked into the room. "What?"

Peeta just nodded toward there daughter, then turned to look at Katniss.

He could tell she was biting her cheek to try and not laugh at her mini me on the chair. "What's the problem here? What's with grumpy gills over there?" She asked.

Peeta sighed and rubbed the back of his neck with one hand while he spoke, the other shoved into his jeans pocket. "The grump on her rump. She won't paint with purple."

Katniss snorted, but quickly adjusted when he didn't laugh as well. "What?"

"She won't touch it. She wants to paint a rainbow, and you have to have purple, well violet, but purple to do that."

"Honey, what's wrong with purple?"

"No!" The little girl insisted.

Peeta and Katniss looked at one another, knowing they were obviously going to get no where on this one, at least not anytime soon.

Katniss turned back to their daughter, and went to her chair, lowering herself to a crouch beside it. "How about you go bake cookies with daddy-"

"What?" Peeta interrupted, going silent at a look from Katniss.

"And I will go out into the woods and get something that will change your mind about purple. If it doesn't then you can just paint something else, okay?"

"Okay!" Their daughter shouted and jumped up excitedly as if nothing had happened.

Peeta shook his head, mouth agape, and pointing in the direction of their daughter, making Katniss smile. "What was that? Why do I have to bake cookies while you go on adventure? What are you doing?"

Katniss merely smiled. "All the cookies better get baked. I know how much cookie dough that recipe makes, and their better not be any sampling before they go in the oven."

"Hey, tasting as I go is my style."

"Mix it up a little."

"If you get her to paint with purple, I will make you an entire batch of cookie dough just for you."

"Throw in cheese buns and you've got a deal."

X-X-X

Katniss walked back into the house which smelled of cookies and smiled.

Her daughter came running up to her, smiling, brown hair swaying in 'a braid like mommy's' and blue eyes like her father, framed with smudges of flour, and what looked like orange icing on the tip of her nose. "Mommy!"

She noticed the bundle of flowers in Katniss' hand. "What're those?" She asked as she pointed at them.

"Your name? Violet? This is what they look like."

"That's me?" Her daughter sounded awestruck.

Katniss smiled. "Yup. Remember your aunt Prim? Well her full name is Primrose, a type of flower. My name?"

"Katniss!"

"That's right! My father always told me, 'As long as you can find yourself, you'll never starve.'"

Violet scrunched her face up in confusion. "That makes no sense."

Katniss nodded assuredly. "Well, the plant is kind of like an onion, it's edible, so he was kind of joking."

"Oh." Her daughter looked completely lost.

"Yeah. But violets, they are edible, too, but people love them for their beauty. Their color, their smell.  
What my dad meant was true for you, too. Whenever I go out I the woods, daddy always makes sure I have food with me, right?"

"Right." Violet nodded firmly, a proud smile on her face.

"Otherwise, if I got lost, I would be wandering around with an empty belly, and that's no fun."

"He should send you cookies, too."

Katniss heard Peeta snort through the kitchen door and she smiled. "Agreed. But hear me out."

"I'm all ears." The little girl tugged at the top of each ear.

Katniss laughed. "Let me talk, kiddo! People love violets for their beauty on the outside, what they can see. But they also love them for their smell, something that comes from inside the flower, but you can't see.  
If I am in the woods, lost, with no food and I am wandering around with an empty belly, that can hurt and not be fun. If you wander around not letting people see what's inside, they'll never know what to think of you. 'As long as you can find yourself, you'll never starve.' It means, as long as you are proud of who you are, and know who you are, and show who you are, you will always be happy. And you, Violet look and smell lovely. Be proud of who you are."

Violet tapped her index finger to her chin a few times, deep in thought. "Stuff people can see, and stuff they can't see? Like when you look angry when daddy doesn't make you cheese buns, but you aren't really angry inside?"

Katniss turned toward the kitchen door to see Peeta leaning in the doorway, ankles locked, arms crossed, and that lopsided grin of his turning up his face. "What can I say? She's perceptive."

Katniss scowled at him, and he threw his arms up in the universal sign of surrender, a smug smile on his face as he walked back to his art studio. Katniss turned back to Violet. "Yes. Kind of like that, my little sapling."

"What is a sapling?"

"Too much talk of plants already! Something to talk about another time."

Violet moaned in disapproval, but Katniss cut her short by scooping her up and twirling her around, then pulling her close and tickling her belly as she asked between tickles, "So why wouldn't you paint with purple in the first place? Huh? Huh? What's up with that?"

After catching her breath, Violet shrugged. "I dunno."

"Ha!" Katniss heard Peeta bark from the painting room, followed shortly by a low and muffled, "Women."

"Time for bed," Katniss announced, Peeta coming around the corner to say goodnight and give their daughter kisses. "You coming up with us?"

"No, I have paint poured already. I don't want it to dry out."

With a last goodnight, Katniss carried their daughter upstairs, promised her she would take her to pick more violets tomorrow, and sang Deep in the Meadow, coming back down as soon as Violet was asleep.

"What was that 'Women' comment I heard earlier?" She asked as she walked into the art studio door.

Peeta peeked his head around the canvas he was painting. "What can I say? She's just like her mother." His eyes glinted humorously.

"Yeah, at least we stuck with my family tradition of plant names and didn't name her 'Cibatta' or something. That would have been a whole different conversation."

Peeta lightly shoved Katniss shoulder, and she grinned as she walked to look over his shoulder at the canvas.

"What're you working on an-"

She stopped as the air caught in her throat, failing to produce sound.

Peeta had painted Katniss kneeling by Violet's chair, showing their daughter the handful of flowers. It was all a sketch except for Katniss' hair, the flowers, Violet's hair and eyes, which were all the appropriate colors.

"It's….. It beautiful."

Peeta looked from his wife back to the painting. "Hopefully when she sees it we can paint that rainbow."

"This one is going on the fridge." He said, as he flipped through his tiny sketch book and handed it to Katniss. She laughed at what she saw and ripped it out, laughing the whole way to the kitchen where she put a magnet on the sketch of their daughter sitting in her little chair, arms crossed, her mother's signature scowl, and angry pouted lips.


	23. What do you like most about the stars?

_A/N: Written for Peeta's Paintbox, Prompts in Panem, Day 7 - Black and White._

X-X-X

Katniss and Peeta lay in the meadow, watching a meteor shower that was supposed to be one of those 'once every blah blah years' kinda things.

They would small talk between stars shooting across the sky, exclaiming excitedly and pointing whenever they saw one.

During one particularly long lull, Katniss stared to giggle.

"What?" Peeta asked, starting to chuckle himself.

"I'm gonna go on a deep subject path in a second."

"How deep?"

"Rafiki deep."

They both laughed.

"From the Lion King?" Peeta said between chuckles.

"No, from The Little Mermaid, yes of course The Lion King."

Peeta lowered his voice as deep as it could go. "Remember who you are."

Another fit of giggles over took them, ending with them pointing at the sky in exclamation as they both saw a particularly large star.

"Well, that's serendipity," Peeta said.

"What?"

"The shooting star after I say the iconic line from a ghost cloud lion in the sky from a cartoon movie."

Katniss turned her head to face Peeta and began to sing.  
"I can see what's happening,  
and yet I haven't a clue,  
you're talking crazy and here's the bottom line,  
I don't know what to do.  
Should I run in terror,  
Or just contain my fear?  
Problem is I'm just like you so,  
I think I'll stay right here."

Peeta clapped. "Bravo!"

"Thank you, thank you."

"So what was that 'Rafiki deep' you were talking about."

"Oh. What do you think is up there?"

This time Peeta sang, "I haven't got a clue."

Katniss chuckled. "Okay. Than what is your favorite part of looking at the stars?"

"Hmmmm…. I like the canvas the stars are on."

"Aka: the sky?"

"Aka: the blackness. It is ominous, encompassing, yet comforting because it cradles all the stars."

"Hmmmm…."

"What about you?"

"Oh, I like the balls of flaming gas."

"Aka: stars?"

"Aka: yes. They look so simple, just little white dots on the big nothingness, but they are complex things, they have a life cycle, and for some reason, they give people hope. Wishing on a star, all that stuff."

"Hmmmm…."

"What?"

"I'm gonna go on a deep subject path here in a minute."

"Uh-oh."

Peeta turned to her and smiled. "You are the yin to my yang."

Katniss laughed and looked at the stars. After a few moments of silence she began to sing.  
"Asante Sana!  
Squash banana!  
We we nuga!  
Mi mi apana!"

Peeta laughed and joined her with his own song.  
"What's on the menu?  
It could be ceviche.  
It's stinky.  
Ooh it's Pumbaa."

"Those aren't the right words."

"They are in Lion King 1 and 1/2."

They looked at each other and Peeta laughed. "We need help."

"I got a powerful urge to help you out  
So what-cha wish? I really wanna know  
You got a list that's three miles long, no doubt  
Well, all you gotta do is rub like so - and oh."

"Who was that?"

"Genie? From Aladdin?"

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Good grief."

"You're a good man, Charlie Brown."

Just then a star shot across the sky. "Make a wish!" Peeta shouted.

Katniss scrunched up her eyes, making a wish, but still sang.  
"A dream is a wish, your heart makes."


	24. Who Says Science Can't Be Fun?

starks-and-mellarks tagged me in the Everlark drabble challenge (Thank you, by the way! It means a lot that you would think of me! :)) with **"Everlark, Science Fair"**. I smiled when I saw the topic. Writing young Everlark is my favorite. I picture them being Juniors or Seniors in this one. This turned out really long and really silly. And it's unbeta'd, so, please bear with any typos. I did use some lines straight from the books, so credit where they are due.

Now. *Ahem* Once upon a time….

X-X-X

All the booths in the whole auditorium, and he was in the one right next to hers.

Great.

Katniss looked down at her shabby looking little diorama of the solar system. It was cliche, she knew, but something about space just amazed her. The thought of a life, of a world outside of her own, the possibility of bigger, better, brighter things…. She smiled at just the thought of it.

Besides, being stuck in the school was not her element. She wished the teacher would just come and slap a grade on it so she could go outside and climb a tree and sit with a good book, or under her favorite willow tree by the lake looking up at the sky through the waving, protective arms of the tree. Her smile faded and she sighed.

"Something wrong?"

_Uh-oh._ Katniss froze.

Looking up with a blank face, she came almost nose to nose with him.

She took a step back, an embarrassed smile on her face and her cheeks turning pink as she laughed nervously and stared at her shoes.

"Um," she started, looking back up and meeting the concerned blue eyes once again. Those beautiful blue eyes that sat atop a mountain of freckles on his nose and below his golden waves of hair, and crowned with the most beautiful, long, golden eyelashes…. Where was she again?

"I, um, I…." she stammered, her tongue suddenly somehow made of lead. He stared to smile.

_No. No, no, no, no._ She was once again lost in thought, only this time it was of lopsided smiles with dimples, and perfectly white teeth, and lips a color only Cupid himself could paint.

"Katniss?"

"Hmmmm?" He knows my name? Realizing she had been staring at his lips, mouth slightly agape and…. Was she drooling? She wiped at her mouth quickly with the back of her hand. "Oh. Yeah. Sorry. Was up late working. On the project. This project. Right here." She pointed at it with a giant, nervous smile on her face.

He laughed, but it was a happy laugh, not a condescending laugh.

She let her smile fade into a more manageable, natural one. A comfortable smile. That was a new concept for her. Her smiles were admittedly hard to come by.

"I'm not much of a painter." Did she really just initiate speaking with him?

He looked over her diorama and feigned pain. "Yeah. I can see that."

She dropped her jaw and scoffed, but a smile broke through, unbidden, and he laughed. "You missed Jupiter's Great Red Spot." And he pointed to one of the planets.

"That one is the sun."

"Oh. Um, well…." He looked extremely uncomfortable.

"I'm kidding."

"Thank God," he said in a rush of air as if he had been holding his breath.

He held out his hand for her to shake. "Peeta Mellark."

"I know." She returned the handshake.

"You do?" He sounded more amazed than curious.

"Um, yeah. We've gone to the same school since kindergarten."

"I know."

"You do?" Her voice was suddenly breathy. Was it hot in here, or was it just her?

Peeta blushed, rubbing the back of his neck and staring at his feet with a nervous chuckle. "Yeah. Well, now that the cat is out of the bag, I, uh…." He looked up and met her gaze. "I've had a crush on you forever."

"Oh?" Katniss squeaked. Clearing her throat, she pulled on the neckline of her sweater which suddenly felt like it was on fire and managed to squeak out, "When did forever start?"

Peeta's smile was genuine and his expression like he was reliving a favorite memory. "Oh, let's see. I guess the first day of school. We were five. You had on a red plaid dress and your hair… it was in two braids instead of one."

"….Go on."

His smile grew. "So that day, in music class, the teacher asked who knew the valley song. Your hand shot right up in the air. She stood you up on a stool and had you sing it for us. And I swear, every bird outside the windows fell silent."

"Oh, please," Katniss snorted.

"No, it happened. Just like when your father sang."

"That's true. They do. I mean, they did." Katniss grew silent.

"Aw, man, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to bring that up. I really wanted to be there for you, but, you were just too pretty-"

"Pretty?"

Peeta nodded bashfully. "And scary."

"Scary?"

Peeta's face was over dramatic and silly. "Terrifying."

Katniss felt her smile coming back again.

"That's why I left that box of cupcakes on your front doorstep."

"That was you?"

Peeta looked like he had let a secret slip. "Maybe." He shoved his hands deep in his pockets and rocked on his toes. "Anyway, you sang. And right when your song ended, I knew."

"Knew what?"

"I was a goner."

"What? You're making that up!"

"No, I swear! Then for the everyday after that, I tried to work up the nerve to talk to you."

"Without success."

"Without success. So, in a way, my booth being next to yours and your horrible painting skills was a real piece of luck."

"You have a… remarkable memory," Katniss said, a bewildered smile on her face.

"I remember everything about you," Peeta said, his voice now serious and soft, taking a step toward her and tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "You're the one who wasn't paying attention."

"I am now," Katniss squeaked.

They both jumped as a sudden crash sounded behind them, turning to see Katniss' diorama now on the floor in pieces.

Katniss' jaw hung open, not able to form coherent words.

Cato and his group of flunkies were snickering as Cato tossed the ball that was the sun up and down in his hand, smirking.

Katniss looked at Peeta, and didn't know quite how to feel. He was clenching his jaw and fists balled up tightly at his sides, the muscles in his arms flexing as he released and reclenched his fists. His shoulder were squared off…. Aw to hell with space, close quarters had their benefits, one of which being proximity.

Katniss turned at the sound of a familiar voice to find Finnick, Peeta's best friend, getting the the face of Cato and yelling, "What on earth were you thinking? Are you from another planet or something? Did you grow up on the moon?"

Other students were snickering at Finnick's solar system puns as Gale, Katniss' best friend, two years older and several heads taller, came up behind Cato and tackled him to the ground, pinning his arms behind his back.

Finnick played ringmaster to this circus and encouraged the growing claps and cheering of other students, and even some faculty. "That's right! Let's hear it!" After he had milked it, and the situation was officially diffused by Ms. Trinket coming by and babbling on about violence and manners and scuffing the mahogany floors, Finnick made little guns out of his thumb and index finger, pointed them at Katniss and Peeta, pretended to shoot each once with a "pew pew" sound effect, then holding them up on each side of his head, he made a show of slowly blowing the smoke off each one, holstering them with his thumbs in his belt loops, turned to the side and moon walked away. After he was out of sight for a few seconds, he yelled, "Moon walk. Get it?"

Katniss found herself laughing. All she wanted to do was be done with this whole thing, but not like this. Oh, the irony.

"Here," Peeta said, picking up pieces of her shattered project. "Come with me to the art room. I can help you repaint them."

"But, what about your project?"

"Nah. Mr. Abernathy won't care. It's about different kinds of yeast and their effects in making bread rise. I think he would rather hand me an A than listen to me talk about dough."

Katniss didn't know how to react. She hated owing people, but, this didn't feel like that kind of a thing. "You're really gonna help me?"

Peeta smiled. "Really. That's what friends do. Help each other."

After they had gotten everything into the art room, Peeta began setting up paints and grabbing brushes like it was his own studio.

"You'd think you own the place," Katniss snorted.

"What? Oh. Yeah, well, Cinna let's me use the room after he teaches."

"You're a painter, and a baker?"

"Yeah. I know. Go ahead. Laugh it up."

"No! I…. I love it."

Peeta smiled bashfully and pretended to be extremely interested in one of the three paintbrushes in his hands. "Thanks. You see that painting?" He pointed to a large painting over Cinna's desk.

Katniss had always loved it. I was a willow tree by a lake that looked just like hers. The wind was blowing the branches and rippling the water and it all seemed so real, you could almost feel the breeze. Yellow dandelions were scattered through the grass, and a few going to seed, starting to blow away in the wind.

"Yeah. I have always loved that painting. I just assumed Cinna painted it. Why?"

Peeta stared at the paint he was pouring. "I painted that."

Katniss snapped her head to the side to look at him. "What?"

"I painted that."

"No."

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes.

"Man, I can't even draw a circle that's actually round."

Peeta laughed a deep, long laugh. After a minute he caught his breath and apologized. "I…. I'm sorry. You are amazing, you know that?"

"Moi?"

"You have no idea. The effect you can have, do you?"

"Let's paint some balls!" Katniss said, changing the subject. It wasn't until Peeta stared at her, a boyish smile on his face that she realized what she had said. "Oh, get your mind out of the gutter and help me."

Peeta continued to stare at her, a look she couldn't quite discern on his face, aside from his smile. "I wish I could freeze this moment, right here, right now and live in it forever."

"This moment? Right now? While we're painting balls? Styrofoam balls?"

"Yes. This moment. This perfect, beautiful moment."

"You are a wonderful man, Peeta Mellark."

He merely smiled.

"I mean it. You are the best man in this room."

"Well, I don't have much competition here," he jokes, gesturing to to empty room.

Katniss walked up beside him, gently running her fingers over his cheek. Her voice soft and sincere, she got so close their noses touched before saying, "You don't have much competition anywhere." And gave him a gentle, soft, sweet kiss.

When she pulled away, they both had goofy grins on their faces.

"Why don't you say we blow this Popsicle stand?" Peeta said.

"Sure. My project got smashed so I have an excuse. And you can sweet talk your way into anything, so you have nothing to worry about. Let's do it. And I know just the place."

X-X-X

The lake wasn't far, but they stopped by a store to grab a quick snack.

Peeta got Cheetos and Katniss got a green pear.

She took him to the willow tree, listening to him explain his project on the way. She loved the look of excitement and passion on his face when he talked about it.

He trailed off when he saw the willow tree beside the lake. "It's just like the picture."

"What picture?"

"My painting? I used a photo my dad had taken as reference."

Katniss didn't know what to think about that, so she pulled him under the tree, and they lay side by side, looking up at the sky.

They learned each other's favorite colors, memories, habits….

Katniss suddenly burst out laughing.

"What?" Peeta turned his head toward her.

Katniss could hardly talk through her laughter. "Our favorite colors?"

"….Yeah?"

"Green and orange?"

"….Yeah?"

"A green pear and orange Cheetos?"

They stared at each other for a second, then they both started laughing.

When they finally calmed down, a comfortable silence fell between them.

As the sun began to set, Katniss turned to Peeta. "So let me get this straight. You're a painter. You're a baker. You like to sleep with the windows open. You never take sugar in your tea. And you always double-knot your shoelaces."

"Guilty as charged."

"Wow. You are really a piece of work, Mellark." Katniss smirked.

"I know." Peeta smiled, but it didn't quite meet his eyes. "No one really needs me."

"I do," Katniss said. "I need you."

They stay laying, looking at one another as the sun set under the horizon.

"They are going to wonder where we are," Peeta said softly.

"Don't go. It's just Ms. Trinket fussing about the mahogany." Peeta laughed softly. "Stay with me?" Katniss whispered hopefully.

Peeta looked at her with a look that conveyed so many emotions at once, it was hard to read them all. Relief, happiness, excitement. "Well, when you put it that way…." He said teasingly. He then scooted over closer to her, and kissed the tip of her nose, a soft kiss on the lips, and finally, a kiss on the top of her head as he whispered, "Always."

He held her close, and she listened to the beat of his heart.

When the stars began to come out she whispered, "Peeta?"

He looked down at her. "Yeah?"

"Can I have some of your Cheetos?"

He laughed. "No. Now, shut up and eat your pears."


	25. As You Wish

mrsbonniemellark tagged me in the Everlark Drabble Challenge with "farm boy!peeta and rich!katniss". Now, I took. A lot of this straight from the movie, (Princess Bride) so credit to everyone it is due.

X-X-X

Peeta sat on the edge of his son's bed, both of them breathing hard, recovering from a tickle fight. "Okay, time for bed." Peeta said, standing to walk away, grinning when his little boy whined. "What? It's late. You got a problem with sleeping?"

"Tell me a bedtime story!" Peeta couldn't help the grin once again on his face at the twinkle of hope in his son's eyes. "Please?" The little boy folded his hands together and pouted his lips, begging.

"Fine, fine." Peeta settled back in with his son, curling up close to him in the tiny little bed, their noses almost touching. "I'll tell you a story my grandfather used to read to my father when he was sick, and my father used to read it to me, and today, I'm gonna tell it to you."

"Does it got any sports in it?" Peeta laughed. He sure did take after his mother in some ways.

"Are you kidding? Fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, True Love, miracles…."

"Doesn't sound too bad. I'll try and stay awake."

Peeta scoffed. "Oh. Well thank you very much. Very nice of you. Your vote of confidence is overwhelming. All right. The story is called, 'The Princess Bride, by S. Morgenstern.'"

The little boy yawned. Peeta smiled to himself. This would be a piece of cake.

"Once upon a time, there was a girl named Katniss who was raised on a small farm in the country of Panem."

"Wait!" The little boy held up his hand to stop his father. "That's mama's name!"

"Hey! I'm doing the telling around here."

The little boy sighed, dropping his hand with a roll of his eyes.

"Thank you. Now as I was saying…." Peeta cleared his throat dramatically, earning a giggle from the little boy. "Her favorite pastimes were riding her horse and tormenting the farm boy that worked there. His name was Peeta, but she never called him that. Tired yet?"

"No. Keep going."

This time Peeta rolled his eyes. "Nothing gave Katniss as much pleasure as ordering Peeta around. She would say, 'Farm Boy, polish my horse's saddle. I want to see my face shining in it by morning.'  
And Peeta would simply reply, 'As you wish.'" Peeta raised and lowered his voice to imitate each character. "'As you wish' was all he ever said to her. 'Farm boy,' she said one day while setting down some water buckets near Peeta. 'fill these with water… please.' 'As you wish.'

That day she was amazed to discover that when he was saying 'As you wish', what he meant was, 'I love you.'

One day Peeta came into the house carrying firewood and Katniss had a realization that was even more amazing. It was the day she realized she truly loved him back. Right after Peeta had set down the wood and was walking back to the door, Katniss called out, 'Farm boy!' Peeta paused in the doorway, turning back to face her. Looking around desperately for something to tell him to do, she spotted a water pitcher well within her reach, but told him anyway, 'Fetch me that pitcher.'  
Peeta took the pitcher down and handed it to her, whispering, 'As you wish.'

Katniss smiled, and held the pitcher close to her body, as if it were something special. Something that needed guarding. That night, as the sun set behind them, they shared their first kiss-"

"Woah. Woah. Hold it, hold it!" Peeta had to bite back a smile as he looked to his son. "What is this? Are you trying to trick me? Where are the sports?" Then, in a low, near whisper, "Is this a kissing book?"

"Wait, just wait."

"Well, when does it get good?"

"Keep your shirt on, let me continue."

He took his son's sigh as approval.

"Peeta had no money for marriage, so he packed his few belongings and left the farm to seek his fortune across the sea.

Katniss and Peeta stood outside the house, holding each other tightly. It was a very emotional time for Katniss."

"I don't believe this!" The little boy sounded exasperated.

Peeta continued. "Katniss softly said, 'I fear I will never see you again.'  
'Of course you will.' Peeta said, cupping her face in his hand.  
'But what if something happens to you?'  
Peeta grabbed both of her shoulders, meeting his gaze. 'Hear this now: I will always come for you.'  
Katniss was near tears. 'But how can you be sure?'  
Peeta smiled. 'This is True Love. You think this happens every day?'  
And with one last kiss, he picked up his bag and walked away.

Sadly, Peeta didn't reach his destination. His ship was attacked by the Horrid Pirate Snow, who never left captives alive. When Katniss got the news that Peeta was murdered,—"

"Murdered by pirates is good…." He son said, a little too excitedly.

Peeta glanced at his son with a weary glance before continuing, "She went into her room and shut the door, and for days she neither slept nor ate. 'I will never love again.' She said to the empty room as she stared at the fire."

His son's eyes began to droop, so Peeta decided to skip to the end and go for the kill. "And as they reached for each other…" He paused

"What? What?" His son mumbled, near sleep.

"Ah, it's kissing again. You don't want to hear that."

"I don't mind so much." Sleep was nearly there.

Peeta smiled. "Oh, okay. Since the invention of the kiss, there have been five kisses rated the most passionate, the most pure. This one left them all behind. The end."

His son softly snored as Peeta gingerly got out of the bed, covered the boy, and turned to leave the room, jumping at the sight of Katniss, leaning in the door way, grinning.

"You forgot to tell him the part where he says, 'I always come back for what's mine.' And it was 'Always', not 'As you wish'."

"It's our love story. He'll hear about that in time." Peeta couldn't help his beaming smile as he approached his wife.

"I love you," she said, wrapping her arms around his chest, clutching him tightly like she had the pitcher all those years ago. Only the two of them knew it was a pearl and not a pitcher. "I'm glad you came back."

"Always," he whispered back, wrapping his arms around her and kissing the top of her head.

"So we'll tell him someday? The real story? About the gam-" she couldn't quite finish the word. "The wa- The Mocki-" Her voice was trembling now. "Pri- Finni-…." She took a deep breath to steady her voice. Finally she was able to whisper, "Everything?"

Peeta nodded his eyes glinting mischievously and a new grin on his face despite the somber subject, "As you wish."


	26. Checkmate

_I apologize in advance for any typos. It's just something that came to my mind. _

X-X-X

It was a habit of his. He'd lock himself in his room with only his most trusted advisor, Haymitch, alongside him.

But this time he had invited her in with him. She sat in a chair in the corner, watching as he and Haymitch plotted war strategies on a chessboard.

How had she gotten here? How in the world had she been lucky enough to fall in love and be loved back? Much less by Peeta, the king.

It was only by sheer fate that he even became king, as he was several down the line for the crown. But a great rebellion had taken place, Haymitch bearing the scars as proof, and had wiped out all the people above Peeta, and very nearly himself as well. But in the end he was left the crown, the remnants of a war to stamp out, and a wounded country to heal.

He and Katniss had grown up in the same village, and even played together as children. He had even saved her and her family's lives once by giving them bread after her father had died, but then the war happened, and they didn't meet again until one day on the battlefield. She had shot an arrow that saved his life.

"Well, we can't have the king die, can we?" She had joked.

He had laughed. "Nah. Nobody needs me."

And for reasons beyond her, whether from somewhere deep inside was a spark of truth, or merely to be kind, she had responded with, "I do. I need you."

The look his face adopted was a look she could not discern, but it soon hid behind a grin as he asked, "So are you here to fight with me, Katniss? You going to protect me?"

"I am. I will. After all, that's what we do, don't we? Protect each other?"

He smiled a knowing smile. "So you'll stay here, beside me? Shooting down all that dare defy me?" He puffed up his chest and held his head high, clearly a mocking gesture.

She smiled a real smile for the first time in a long time. "Always."

She smiled at the memories, scowling when she heard her name being called. "Katniss?" Shaking her head from the fog, she looked up to see those blue eyes staring at her with concern. "Are you okay?"

"Yes. Yes, I'm fine. Just…. Thinking."

"Well come over here and use that brain of yours, Sweetheart." Haymitch waved her over as he spoke.

"To do what?"

"To help us come up with something, 'cause so far we only have one strategy."

"And that is?"

His smile was smug. "Stay alive."

She chuckled as she examined the board. They explained what each piece meant to them as far as camps and generals and such.

"Well, I have one strategy. I'm surprised you haven't said it, Haymitch. It's what you used to tell us before every battle."

"I've drunk since then."

"'Remember who the real enemy is.'"

Peeta looked confused. "We know who the remaining rebels are."

"No. It's in reference to yourself. He meant that we could not second guess ourselves. Second guessing only leaves room for error. We are our own worst enemy. So long as we can keep that a bay, anything is possible."

Peeta looked between Haymitch and Katniss, a look of awe and admiration on his face. "Well, what do you suggest?"

"Well," Katniss began, holding up the piece representing Peeta. "The people. They need their king."

Peeta picked up the piece representing her. "They also need their queen."

They smiled at one another as Haymitch picked up his own piece, wiggling it in the air between his thumb and index finger. "Hey. They need this guy, too."

"'All the world's a stage and all of us merely players.'" Katniss said.

"We're more than just pieces in a game. If there's one thing being king has taught me, it's that you have to be what everyone else wants. And if there's one thing I've learned from being a soldier? It's that you have to make your own rules. Don't be or do what they want or expect."

"So what do we do?" Haymitch asked quietly.

"Katniss?" Peeta looked to her.

As she stared at the chessboard she mulled over her words. Finally looking up to the two pairs of eyes staring at her, waiting on her, she knew what she would say. After all, there are much worse games to play.


End file.
